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(p2o  •  3- 
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no  •  f>0 


BULLETIN  NO.  50. 


(5000) 


FEBRUARY,  1898. 


OREGON  AGRICULTURAL  EXPERIMENT  STATION. 

CHEMICAL  DEPARTMENT. 


THE 

FERTILITY  OF  OREGON  SOILS. 


“  The  next  thing  is  to  tickle  the  soil  with  tillage  ;  and  see  if  it  will  langli 
with  fatness ;  if  it  does  not,  apply  something  which  will  awaken  it  more 
effectually.” — Roberts  in  The  Fertility  of  the  Soil . 


The  Bulletins  of  this  Station  are  sent  Free  to  all  Residents  of 

Oregon  who  request  them. 


AGRICULTURAL  COLLEGE  PRINTING  OFFICE. 
G.  B.  READY,  PRINTER. 

1898. 


BOARD  OF  REGENTS 


J.  T.  APPERSON ,  President . Oregon  City 

IV.  E.  YA  TES,  Secretary . Corvallis 

J.  K.  WEATHERFORD ,  Treasurer . Albany 

WM.  P.  LORD ,  Governor . Salem 

H.  R.  KINCAID ,  Secretary  of  State . Salem 

G.  1 II.  IRWIN,  Supt.  Public  Instruction . Salem 

WM.  M.  HIT  LEARY,  Master  State  Grange . Turner 

T.  W.  DAVENPORT . Silverton 

W.  P.  READY . Portland 

WALLIS  NASH. . Portland 

BENTON  KILLIN . Portland 

JONAS  M.  CHURCH. . La  Grande 

SAMUEL  HUGHES . .Forest  Grove 


COMMITTEES. 

EXECUTIVE. 

SAMUEL  HUGHES,  Chairman,  W.  E.  YATES,  Secretary,  J.  T.  APPERSON , 
WILLIAM  M.  HILLEARY ,  BENTON  KILLIN. 

FINANCE. 

BENTON  KILLIN,  WM.  M.  HILLEARY,  J.  M.  CHURCH 

AGRICULTURE  A  N  D  C  H  EM  ISTR  Y. 

BEN  TON  KILLIN,  WILLI  A  M  M.  HILLEA  R  } 

HORTICULTURE  AND  ENTOMOLOGY. 

SAMUEL  HUGHES,  J.  K.  WEATHERFORD. 

MECHANICS  AND  HOUSEHOLD  ECONOMY. 

/.  K.  WEATHERFORD,  SAMUEL  HUGHES,  WALLIS  NASH. 

LITERARY  DEPARTMENT  AND  LIBRARY. 

WALLIS  NASH,  T.  W.  DAVENPORT. 

ADVERTISING  AND  PRINTING. 

W .  P.  KEADY,  W.  E.  YATES. 

BUILDINGS  AND  GROUNDS. 

W.  E.  YA  TES,  J.  M.  CHURCH. 

FARMERS’  INSTITUTES. 

J.  K.  WE  A  THERFORD,  W.  E.  YA  TES. 


OFFICERS  OF  THE  STATION. 

THOMAS  M.  GATCH,  A.  M.,  Ph.  D . President  and  Director 


H.  T.  FRENCH,  M.  S . Agriculturist 

G.  W.  SHA  W,  Ph.  D .  Chemist 

A.  B.  CORDLEY,  B.  S. . Entomologist 

MOSES  CRAIG,  M.  S.  II. . Botanist 

GE  0.  CO  0  TE . . Horticu  l tu  rist 

E.  F.  PER  NOT. . . Bacteriologist 


LIME-BEARING  ZEOLITES  IN  ROCKS. 


LIME-BEARING  ZEOLITES. 


INTRODUCTION. 


In  October,  1892,  the  writer  published  in  Bulletin  21  the  re¬ 
sults  of  the  examination  of  a  number  of  soils  of  this  State.  Since 
the  publication  of  those  preliminary  results,  the  work  on  soils 
has  progressed  more  or  less  rapidly  as  other  lines  of  investigation, 
more  urgent  in  their  need,  would  permit.  The  results  obtained 
within  this  period  have  revealed  some  facts  of  importance,  and 
have,  in  some  measure,  modified  certain  ideas  held  at  the  time  of 
publishing  the  former  bulletin.  Particularly  is  this  true  of  the 
lime  supply  of  Oregon  soils  which  will  be  discussed  more  at 
length  in  this  publication. 

The  edition  of  the  former  bulletin  was  exhausted  soon  after 
publication,  hence  in  addition  to  a  discussion  of  the  analyses 
proper  it  has  been  thought  best  to  set  before  the  reader  some  fun¬ 
damental  facts  concerning  the  properties  of  soils  and  the  function 
of  their  critical  elements.  It  is  the  experience  of  the  writer  that 
there  is  much  need  of  the  elementary  instruction  which  the  first 
part  of  this  bulletin  essays  to  cover,  and  it  is  hoped  that  it  may 
serve  a  goodly  purpose  in  stimulating  interest  in  agricultural 
problems. 

G.  W.  SHAW, 
Chemist. 


THE  FERTILITY  OF  OREGON  SOILS. 

G.  W.  Shaw,  Ph.  I). 

At  the  outset  I  desire  to  state  that  often  much  more  importance 
is  attached  to  a  chemical  analysis  of  soil  than  is  warranted. 
Chemists  would  be  more  than  glad  to  claim  for  this  work  all  that 
many  people  imagine  it  is  possible  to  tell  from  such  analysis,  but 
we  are  compelled  to  admit  that  the  analysis  of  a  single  soil  tells 
but  little  in  a  positive  way.  Chemists  have  long  been  divided 
in  opinion  as  to  whether  the  benefits  to  be  derived  are  commen¬ 
surate  with  the  labor  expended,  for  a  soil  analysis  is  a  tedious 
undertaking  requiring  several  days  for  its  completion.  The 
main  ideas  advanced  by  the  opposition  are: 

First.  The  inability  of  securing  a  sample  which  will  represent 
a  general  average. 

Second.  The  difficulty  in  establishing  a  rule  for  determining 
deficiencies  of  plant  food,  because  of  the  very  material  differences 
in  the  physical  properties  of  soils. 

Third.  The  inability  of  the  chemist  to  determine  the  availa¬ 
bility  of  the  plant  food  in  a  soil. 

The  opinions  of  those  holding  these  views  were  the  natural  out¬ 
growth  of  those  holding  incorrect  views  put  forth  in  the  begin¬ 
ning  of  agricultural  chemistry,  and  of  the  fact  that  the  earlier 
work  with  soils  was  done  upon  the  “ worn-out  soils”  of  Europe 
and  the  Eastern  States. 

On  the  other  hand  there  are  equally  strong  adherents  to  the  belief 
that. much  of  value  results  from  a  careful  chemical  examination 
of  soils,  and  in  rebuttal  to  the  objections  stated  above  they  offer: 

First.  That  the  objection  does  not  hold  except  when  a  very 
limited  number  of  samples  is  considered  in  the  average.  That 
when  a  large  number  of  analyses  are  made  of  soils  of  essentially 
the  same  characteristics  a  very  staisfactory  idea  can  be  had  as  to 
any  inherent  deficiency  in  the  soils  of  like  character,  and  the 
larger  the  number  of  analyses  on  which  the  averages  are  based 
the  more  definite  becomes  our  knowledge,  provided  uniform  meth¬ 
ods  of  sampling  and  analysis  are  employed. 


4 


Second.  That  on  the  prairies  and  hills  of  the  great  west  vast 
tracts  of  land — often  larger  than  an  entire  state  in  the  east — of 
essentially  the  same  physical  characteristics ,  still  in  their  virgin 
state,  concerning  which  it  is  possible  to  establish  certain  mini¬ 
mum  limits  for  productiveness  as  indicated  by  marked  differences 
in  the  characteristics  of  the  plants  growing  thereon. 

Third.  That  while  it  is  admitted  as  impossible  at  present  for 
the  chemist  to  answer  definitely  concerning  the  availability  of 
plant  food;  he  can  answer  as  to  the  total  quantity,  and  any  inherent 
deficiency  found  will  certainly  limit  the  durability;  that  it  is 
possible  to  say  with  a  fair  degree  of  assurance  on  which  side  the 
soil  will  first  wear  out.  Further,  it  can  now  fairlv  be  claimed 
that  recent  investigations  furnish  reasonable  ground  to  expect 
that  in  the  not  far  distant  future  even  the  availability  of  plant 
food  in  the  soil  may  be  ascertained. 

Fourth.  u  That  it  is  far  easier  to  start  with  only  a  few  known 
facts,  even  without  a  knowledge  of  how  best  to  use  them,  in  the 
endeavor  to  determine  the  best  practice,  than  to  ignore  these  fun¬ 
damental  facts.”* 

ORIGIN  OF  SOILS. 

Soils  are  formed  by  the  natural  disintegration  and  abrasion 
of  the  original  rock  masses.  This  disintegration  and  the  sub¬ 
sequent  pulverization  is  known  as  “weathering.”  The  action 
of  the  natural  agents  causing  this  change  of  rock  to  soil  is 
partly  mechanical  and  partly  chemical.  The  agents  entering  in¬ 
to  the  process  are  change  of  temperature,  water,  air,  and  organic 
life.  Considering  these  in  turn:  changes  from  heat  to  cold  sub¬ 
ject  the  rock  to  alternate  expansion  and  contraction,  which,  on 
account  of  the  heterogeneous  nature  of  the  rock  mass,  finally  re¬ 
sults  in  producing  small  cracks  and  fissures  into  which  rain  may 
fall  and  moisture  collect,  which  upon  freezing  exerts  its  tremend¬ 
ous  expansive  force — one-fifteenth  of  its  mass — sufficient  to  rend 
large  rock  masses  in  twain  and  cause  them  to  crumble  to  smaller 
portions,  the  effect  being  in  proportion  to  the  amount  of  moisture 
that  has  collected  in  the  fissures  and  pores  of  the  rock  and  to  the 
severity  of  the  frost.  Of  course  the  more  rapid  changes  take 
place  near  the  surface,  but  the  action  is  extended  even  to  the  hard 
rock,  which  becoming  exposed  to  frequent  alterations  of  dryness 
and  moisture,  heat  and  cold,  soon  crumbles  to  fragments. 


*  The  Fertility  of  Soil,  page  140,  Roberts. 


Water  is  the  great  transforming  force  in  nature,*  and  acts  both 
as  a  mechanical  and  a  chemical  agent.  It  is  a  soil  former  whether 
it  be  in  the  running  stream,  in  the  quiet  lake  or  in  the  falling 
rain.  Running  water  is  chief  among  the  abrasive  forces,  for  with 
every  particle  removed  increased  erosive  power  is  acquired,  and 
every  grain  of  sand  cooperates  with  its  neighbor  in  grinding  away 
the  solid  masses  against  which  it  is  driven,  and  these  themselves 
by  their  mutual  rubbing  grind  each  other  till  the  angular  frag¬ 
ments  become  pebbles  and  the  pebbles  sand  or  mud.  The  chem¬ 
ical  effect  of  water  is  no  less  than  its  mechanical  for  not  only 
does  the  water  as  such  exert  its  action,  but  associated  with  it 
are  dissolved  gases,  principally  carbon  dioxid  and  oxygen,  which 
themselves  are  active  forces  in  forming  new  compounds,  thus 
weakening  cohesion  and  adding  to  the  general  destruction  of 
rocks  and  their  reduction  to  soils. 

The  action  of  the  atmosphere  is  also  due  to  carbon  dioxid  and 
oxygen,  the  latter  acting  as  an  oxidizing  agent  in  converting  the 
lower  into  the  higher  oxids.  Iron  and  manganese,  which  enter 
into  the  composition  of  a  great  variety  of  rocks  are  thus  affected. 
Thus  the  air  is  a  potent  agent  in  the  formation  of  soils. 

Plants  have  aided  much  in  soil  formation  both  by  the  disinte¬ 
grating  action  of  their  rootlets,  which  have  much  the  same  effect 
on  rocks  as  freezing  water,  and  by  the  accumulation  of  their  de¬ 
caying  remains  and  their  incorporation  with  the  mineral  matter. 

On  the  animal  side  earthworms  are  an  important  factor  in  this 
process  not  only  by  bringing  to  the  surface  portions  of  the  subsoil 
to  be  subjected  to  the  action  of  atmospheric  agents,  but  also  in 
influencing  its  physical  state  by  making  it  more  porous  and  fri¬ 
able.  “It  is  probable  that  the  whole  of  vegetable  matter  in  soil 
passes  sooner  or  later  through  the  alimentary  canal  of  these  ceas- 
less  soil  builders,  and  is  converted  into  the  form  of  humus.”  f 

Were  the  decomposing  agents  the  only  ones  that  are  active  all 
soils  would  be  formed  in  situ  and  would  represent  the  remains  of 
the  parent  rock  enriched  by  the  decomposing  vegetable  matter, 
but  a  large  portion  of  our  soils  are  the  result  of  water  deposition, 
either  fresh  or  salt,  of  finely  eroded  particles  prepared  elsewhere 
than  in  their  present  location.  In  all  running  water  fine  mater¬ 
ial  is  carried  to  a  lower  level  and  streams  are  continually  moving 


*  Rocks  and  Soils,  Stockbridge. 

+  Principles  of  Agriculture  Analysis,  Wiley,  Vol.  I.  page  50. 


6 


soils  from  one  point  to  another.  It  is  thus  that  the  fertile  alluv¬ 
ia],  or  “bottom  lands,”  are  formed.  Ordinarily,  however,  the 
rocks  of  a  given  locality  have  formed,  or  contributed  very  much, 
to  the  soils  of  that  section. 

DEFINITION  AND  FUNCTION. 

“The  term  soil,  in  its  broadest  sense,  is  used  to  designate  that 
portion  of  the  earth  which  has  resulted  from  the  disintegration  of 
rocks  and  the  decay  of  plants  and  animals,  and  which  is  suited 
under  proper  conditions  of  moisture  and  temperature,  to  the 
growth  of  plants.  It  consists,  therefore,  chiefly  of  mineral  sub¬ 
stances,  together  with  some  products  of  organic  life,  and  certain 
living  organisms  whose  activity  may  influence  vegetable  growth 
either  favorably  or  otherwise.  The  soil  also  holds  varying  quan¬ 
tities  of  gaseous  matter  and  of  water,  which  are  important  factors 
in  its  functions,”  *  which  are 

First ,  to  act  as  a  mechanical  support  for  plants. 

Second ,  to  furnish  ash  ingredients  to  the  plant. 

Third ,  to  act  as  a  storehouse  of  moisture  for  the  use  of  plants. 

Fourth ,  to  aid  in  developing  the  plant  by  modifying  and  storing 
the  sun’s  heat,  regulating  the  food  supply  and  securing  other  im¬ 
portant  conditions. 

The  term  subsoil  is  used  to  designate  that  portion  lying  direct¬ 
ly  beneath  the  soil.  In  arid  regions  the  line  of  demarcation, 
which  is  generally  quite  marked,  the  subsoil  being  of  lighter  color 
than  the  soil  proper,  largely  disappears  making  it  impossible  to 
distinguish  any  difference  either  in  color  or  texture  to  a  depth  of 
many  feet.  This  is  well  illustrated  in  many  soils  in  Eastern 
Oregon  where  no  line  of  demarcation  appears  for  a  depth  of  20 
feet  or  more,  while  in  the  Willamette  valley  the  clay  subsoil  is 
well  marked. 

A  BIT  OF  CHEniSTRY.t 

In  a  discussion  of  such  a  subject  as  the  one  in  hand  it  is  well 
nigh  impossible  to  avoid  altogether  the  use  of  certain  chemical 
terms.  From  this  reason  and  from  the  further  fact  that  a  great 
many  readers  of  this  bulletin  will  not  have  had  any  chemical 
training,  the  following  fragment  of  chemistry  is  included.  Its 
sole  purpose  is  to  render  more  intelligible  the  tables  and  discus¬ 
sion  which  follows: 


*  Principles  of  Agricultural  Analysis,  Wiley,  Vol.  I.  page  i. 
+  Oregon  Bulletin  No.  36,  G.  W.  Shaw. 


In  all  nature  there  are  now  recognized  about  72  elementary 
substances  which  are  known  as 

Elements. — A  chemical  element  is  such  a  substance  as  cannot  be 
sepai'ated  into  more  than  one  kind  of  matter.  For  example,  iron, 
the  smallest  conceivable  portion  of  which  is  just  as  truly  iron  as 
the  largest  mass. 

These  elements  may  be  chemically  combined  in  a  great  variety 
of  ways  to  form  an  endless  number  of  compounds ,  which  may  be 
defined  as  substances  co?isisti?ig  of  two  or  more  elements  chemically 
combined  in  definite  proportions.  The  properties  of  these  com¬ 
pounds  differ  from  those  of  the  elements  of  which  they  are  com¬ 
posed,  and  from  those  of  one  another.  These  compounds  are  called 
bases  or  acids  according  as  they  possess  certain  characteristics. 

Of  these  72  elements  there  are  but  14  which  are  of  much  value 
from  the  standpoint  of  agriculture.  These  are  divided  ,  into  two 
classes  according  as  they  do  or  do  not  form  acids: 


Acid  Forming  Elements. 
(Non-metallic. ) 

Oxygen, 

Carbon, 

Hydrogen, 

Nitrogen,* 

Phosphorous,* 

.Sulfur, 

Chlorin, 

Silicon. 


Base- Forming  Elements. 
( Metallic.) 

Calcium, * 
Potassium,* 

Sodium, 

Iron, 

Magnesium, 

Manganese. 


Acids.— Now  if  an  acid  forming  element  unites  with  oxygen  and 
hydrogen,  or  sometimes  with  hydrogen  alone,  a  substance  is  formed 
which  is  known  in  chemistry  as  an  acid.  Thus,  nitrogen  com¬ 
bined  hydrogen  and  oxygen  forms  nitric  acid;  phosphorous,  hy¬ 
drogen  and  oxygen  form  phosphoric  acid. 

Bases. — A  ynetallic  element  combined  with  oxygen  and  hydro¬ 
gen  forms  a  base ,  known  as  a  hydrate  of  that  metal.  Thus,  cal¬ 
cium  united  with  oxygen  and  hydrogen  would  be  calcium  hy¬ 
drate.  Sometimes  the  term  base  is  applied  to  the  compound  of  a 
metal  and  oxygen. 

Salts. — The  two  classes  of  compounds  above  mentioned  are 
very  active  in  a  chemical  sense,  and  having  opposite  properties 
they  always  tend  to  neutralize  each  other  so  that  neither  acids 
nor  bases  are  found  to  any  great  extent  free  in  nature,  but  rather 
in  the  form  of  compounds  resulting  from  their  combination,  such 


*  Those  elements  most  important  are  indicated  by  black  faced  type. 


8 


compounds  being  called  salts.  It  would  be  out  of  place  for  us  to 
discuss  here  the  relation  existing  between  acids,  bases,  and  salts 
further  than  to  say  that  an  acid  differs  from  a  salt  only  in  hav¬ 
ing  its  hydrogen  replaced  by  a  metal,  and  that  every  acid  has  a 
salt  corresponding  to  it.  For  example  phosphoric  acid  consists 
of  phorphorous,  hydrogen  and  oxygen:  now,  if  the  hydrogen  he 
replaced  by  calcium,  the  composition  would  be  phosphorous,  cal¬ 
cium,  and  oxygen,  and  the  compound  would  be  a  calcium  salt  of 
phosphoric  acid  (calcium  phosphate). 

THE  CONSTITUENTS  OF  SOILS. 

From  what  has  been  said  concerning  the  origin  of  soil,  and  the 
action  of  water  and  other  transporting  agents,  it  is  evident  that 
soils  in  general  must  have  a  similar  compoition.  They  all  con¬ 
tain  these  elements  combined  one  with  another  in  various  ways 
as  oxids,  or  salts.  So  important  is  each  of  these  elements  that  if 
any  one  is  lacking,  it  matters  not  how  abundant  the  supply  of 
others,  plants  cannot  grow.  If  any  one  of  them  is  present  in  in¬ 
sufficient  quantity  plants  will  suffer  from  lack  of  proper  nutrition. 

Oxygen. — Oxygen  is  by  far  the  most  abundant  of  all  the  ele¬ 
ments.  It  forms  about  one-fifth  of  the  atmosphere,  where  it  exists 
in  a  free  and  uncombined  state  as  a  gas.  It  is  the  vital  principle 
of  the  air  we  breathe.  It  constitutes  about  one-half  of  the  solid 
crust  of  the  earth,  and  eight-ninths  of  all  the  water.  In  these 
latter  forms,  it  exists  in  a  state  of  chemical  combination  with 
other  elements.  It  combines  chemically  with  nearly  every  known 
element,  and  is  especially  important  in  building  up,  and  destroy¬ 
ing  all  forms  of  organic  matter.  In  a  free  state  it  is  an  invisible 
gas,  posessing  neither  taste  nor  smell.  Chemically  considered  it 
is  a  very  active  substance.  In  all  forms  of  burning  the  oxygen 
of  the  air  is  combining  with  other  elements,  the  heat  being  the 
result  of  the  chemical  union. 

In  soils  it  is  found  both  in  a  free  state  and  combined  with  each 
of  the  elements  named.  With  silicon  it  forms  silica,  or  quartz, 
which  is  the  chief  ingredient  of  nearly  all  soils. 

Carbon  usually  occurs  in  nature  combined  with  other  elements. 
In  the  soil  it  is  a  constituent  of  the  organic  matter  (humus),  and 
is  also  associated  with  calcium,  magnesium  and  oxygen  in  the 
form  of  carbonates,  ex.  limestone.  It  is  also  combined  with  oxy¬ 
gen  alone  as  carbon  dioxide  which  is  formed  from  the  decay  of 


9 


vegetable  matter  and  is  found  dissolved  in  the  soil  water.  The 
plant  obtains  its  carbon  from  the  free  carbon  dioxid  of  the 
atmosphere. 

Hydrogen  is  the  element  which,  when  chemically  combined 
with  oxygen,  forms  water;  in  which  form  it  plays  its  greatest 
part  in  agriculture;  combined  with  the  carbon  dioxid  and  assimi¬ 
lated  by  the  plant  it  forms  tissue,  starch  and  sugar.  It  constitutes 
about  one-ninth,  by  weight,  of  all  water;  it  enters  into  the 
composition  of  all  plants  and  animals;  it  is  the  lightest  sub¬ 
stance  known.  Like  oxygen,  it  is  an  invisible  gas,  without  color, 
taste  or  odor;  but  unlike  oxygen,  instead  of  being  a  supporter  of 
combustion,  it  will,  itself,  burn  when  brought  into  contact  with  a 
flame.  It  is  seldom,  if  ever,  found  in  a  free,  or  uncombined, 
state. 

Sulfur. — The  element  sulfur  is  too  well  known  to  need  any 
detailed  description.  It  does  not  occur  in  ordinary  soils  uncom¬ 
bined,  but  united  with  some  of  the  metals  as  a  sulfids  or  sulfates. 
In  the  former  condition  it  is  usually  harmful  to  plants,  but  in  the 
latter  form  it  may  be  of  considerable  agricultural  importance. 
In  this  form  it  is  united  principally  with  calcium  and  oxygen, 
as  landplaster,  or  gypsum.  Thus  combined  sulfur  is  a  constitu¬ 
ent  of  most  soils. 

Chlorin. — In  minute  quantities  this  element  is  found  in  soils. 
It  is  always  present  in  plants.  In  soils  and  waters  it  is  associated 
with  sodium  as  common  salt. 

Aluminum  is  the  basis  of  clays  and  in  this  form  serves  to  im¬ 
part  strength  to  soils.  The  clays  are  derived  from  the  breaking 
down  of  feldspar,  mica,  and  a  few  minerals  of  lesser  importance. 
The  element  itself  is  a  beautiful,  white  metal,  very  light  and 
tough.  When  combined  with  oxygen  it  forms  a  compound  knowm 
as  alumina.  It  is  in  this  form  that  it  is  separated  in  a  soil  an¬ 
alysis. 

Iron  as  an  element  needs  no  description.  It  is  a  very  widely 
distributed  element,  being  an  almost  universal  constituent  of  soil. 
When  in  the  soil  it  is  united  with  oxygen  as  an  oxid  which  im¬ 
parts  the  red  or  brown  color  to  many  soils  and  rocks.  Yet  all 
red  soils  do  not  owe  their  color  to  this  element.  The  element 
does  not  enter  the  tissues  of  the  plant  to  any  great  extent,  but 
is  important  to  plants  in  the  formation  of  the  green  coloring 
matter  (chlorophyl).  It  performs  an  important  part  in  the  soil 


10 


by  converting  soluble  phosphates  into  relatively  insoluble  forms 
and  thereby  protects  them  from  being  washed  away.  It  also  aids 
in  fixing  the  potash  and  ammonia  in  the  soil.  It  is  also  very 
beneficial  in  its  physical  effects  usually  rendering  a  soil  easy  of 
tillage  and  increasing  its  absorbing  and  retaining  power  for  both 
heat  and  moisture. 

Magnesium  in  combination  is  found  in  nearly  all  cultivated 
soils.  It  resembles  lime  in  many  of  its  properties  and  is  very 
often  associated  with  that  element.  It  is  found  in  the  ash  of  all 
plants,  yet  as  a  direct  plant  food  it  is  of  little  importance,  and  it 
has  little  direct  action  on  the  soil. 

Sodium  “is  the  basis  of  common  salt  and  as  such  has  a  world¬ 
wide  distribution.  It  very  much  resembles  potassium  as  an  ele¬ 
ment  but  can  in  no  sense  take  its  place  in  the  life  of  land  plants. 
In  the  form  of  Chili  saltpeter  sodium  nitrate  is  largely  used  as  a 
fertilizer,  but  for  the  nitric  acid  it  contains  rather  than  for  the 
sodium.”  * 

PROPERTIES  AND  FUNCTIONS  OF  THE  MOST  IMPORTANT  ELEMENTS. 

Calcium  compounds  are  usually  known  as  lime  compounds. 
It  is  one  of  the  commonest  and  most  important  elements  of  the 
earth’s  crust,  of  which  it  has  been  estimated  to  compose  about 
one-sixteenth. f  Calcium,  or  lime  compounds,  are  found  in  most 
soils  in  a  reasonable  quantity,  usually  in  the  form  of  a  carbonate 
or  a  phosphate,  but  sometimes,  as  we  shall  see  later,  as  a  silicate, 
in  which  form  it  is  of  less  agriculture  value  than  in  either  of  the 
others.  To  exert  its  beneficial  effect  in  neutralizing  the  acidity 
of  soils  produced  by  the  natural  decomposition  of  organic  matter 
the  lime  must  be  in  the  form  of  a  carbonate,  hut  either  of  the 
other  forms  might  supply  a  sufficient  amount  for  plant  food  as 
which  the  lime  is  immediately  concerned  in  the  conversion  of 
starch  into  cellulose  (woody  fibre).  Professor  Ililgard  says: 
“Other  things  being  equal  the  thriftiness  of  a  soil  is  measurably 
dependent  upon  a  certain  minimum  percentage  of  lime.”  Its  in¬ 
fluence  on  the  physical  condition  of  a  soil  is  very  marked.  It 
tends  to  render  stiff  clay  soils  more  porous  and  pulverulent,  and 
thus  more  productive.  It  has  a  marked  influence  on  the  trans¬ 
formation  of  vegetable  matter  into  humus,  and  in  hot  climates  to 
protect  the  latter  from  excessive  oxidation.  In  its  presence  much 

*  The  Soil,  King,  page  81. 

+  Agricultural  Analysis,  Wiley,  page  iS. 


11 


smaller  amounts  of  potash  and  phosphoric  acid  will  suffice  to 
produce  remunerative  crops.  All  these  factors  tend  to  place  lime 
in  a  very  important  position  in  agriculture,  and  to  render  its  de¬ 
termination  in  soils  of  no  small  interest. 

Potash  is  the  compound  resulting  from  the  chemical  union  of 
the  soft,  waxy  bluish  metal  potassium  with  the  element  oxygen, 
for  which  the  metal  has  such  an  affinity  that  it  will  even  decom¬ 
pose  water  to  obtain  it.  In  nature  it  is  found  combined  with 
acids,  as  sulfuric,  carbonic,  or  silicic,  and  in  several  compounds 
containing  two  or  more  metals.  Something  more  than  its  mere 
presence  in  soils  is  necessary  for  healthy  plant  growth  for  there 
must  be  a  tolerably  abundant  supply.  Its  presence  in  consider¬ 
able  quantities  in  the  ash  of  plants  is  evidence  of  a  considerable 
natural  supply,  which  is  principally  feldspar,  mica,  and  a  few 
minerals  of  lesser  importance.  One  of  the  earliest  subjects  to  be 
investigated  was  the  relation  of  this  substance  to  vegetable  life. 
Experiments  show  that  when  potash  is  deficient  in  soils  plants 
suffer  greatly  in  their  woody  portion  and  in  the  fleshy  part  of 
their  fruit.  Plants  use  the  potash  in  the  early  part  of  their 
growth,  and  the  element  suffers  a  retrograde  movement  in  the 
plant  about  the  time  of  maturity.  Its  function  in  plant  economy 
has  been  the  subject  of  much  study  on  the  part  of  agricultural 
chemists,  the  results  of  whose  labors  may  be  summarized  as 
follows: 

First.  The  element  is  essential  for  the  assimilation  of  carbon, 
and  its  elaboration  into  starch,  giving  strength  to  the  cell  tissue. 
Thus  the  plant  suffers  greatly  in  its  woody  portion  in  the  absence 
of  potash  in  requisite  quantities. 

Second.  It  is  associated  with  starch  in  its  translocation  from 
cell  to  cell  and  its  transformation  into  sugar.  Hence  the  size 
and  quality  of  fruit  is  materially  affected  by  a  deficiency  of  potash. 

Third.  It  is  required  for  a  proper  development  of  fruit  acids  or 
their  acid  salts,  so  important  in  imparting  an  agreeable  flavor 
to  fruits. 

Phosphorous. — In  a  chemically  pure  state  phosphorous  is  a 
soft  waxy,  yellow  solid,  and  extremely  inflammable  on  account 
of  its  great  affinity  for  oxygen.  When  it  burns  it  simply  unites 
with  the  oxygen  of  the  air  and  forms  an  oxid  of  phosphorous, 
commonly  called  phosphoric  acid.  The  element  never  occurs  in  a 
free  state  but  occurs  as  phosphoric  acid  combined  with  lime, 


12 


magnesia,  or  iron.  It  is  from  these  phosphates  that  the  agricul¬ 
tural  phosphoric  acid  is  obtained.  The  phosphates  found  in  the 
soil  are  partly  in  forms  readily  utilized  by  plants,  and  partly  in 
insoluble  forms  which  have  to  be  subjected  to  the  influence  of 
water,  carbonic  acid,  and  air  before  they  are  assimilable  by  plants. 
It  is  quite  widely  distributed  in  soils,  but  not  in  large  quantities. 
That  it  is  of  extreme' importance  in  agriculture  is  shown  from  the 
fact  that  no  perfect  plant  has  ever  been  produced  without  phos¬ 
phorous  in  the  form  of  a  phosphate.  These  phosphates  are  only 
slightly  soluble  in  water,  so  the  quantity  in  the  soil  is  only  re¬ 
moved  by  the  plants  as  it  becomes  available. 

“  Cereal  crops  remove  about  20  pounds  of  phosphoric  acid  per 
acre  from  the  soil  annually,  and  grass  crops  about  12  pounds. 
The  total  phosphoric  acid  removed  annually  by  the  cereal  and 
grass  crops  in  the  United  States  is  nearly  4,000,000,000  pounds.”* 

As  with  potash  plants  need  their  supply  of  phosphoric  acid  in 
the  early  part  of  their  growth.  Wheat  demands  80  per  cent,  of 
the  total  in  the  first  half  of  the  growing  period.  Clover  assimi¬ 
lates  practically  all  of  its  phosphorous  before  bloom.  The  func¬ 
tion  of  the  element  appears  to  be  in  stimulating  the  assimilation 
of  other  mineral  substances  and  in  promoting  root  development. 
It  is  intimately  related  to  the  nitrogenous  matter  in  plants  for  a 
high  nitrogen  content  is  usually  accompanied  by  a  high  phos¬ 
phorous  content.  While  nitrogen  and  phosphorous  both  accu¬ 
mulate  in  the  seeds  of  plants  and  pits  of  fruit,  and  neither  is  sub¬ 
ject  to  the  retrograde  movement  of  potash,  yet  experiments  show’ 
that  the  action  of  the  tw’O  is  entirely  independent  of  each  other. 

Nitrogen. — This  element  exists  free  in  the  atmosphere  of  v’hich 
it  forms  four-fifths  by  volume.  Like  its  associated  gas  oxygen, 
it  is  colorless,  tasteless,  and  odorless,  but  is  a  non-supporter  of 
combustion.  “It  is  present  in  soils  as  a  constituent  of  humus 
and  decaying  tissues  of  plants  and  animals,  from  which,  through 
the  instrumentality  of  microscopic  life  there  it  is  converted  ulti¬ 
mately  into  nitric  acid,  wdiich,  uniting  writh  potash,  lime,  or  other 
soil  ingredients  forms  a  soluble  salt  taken  up  by  the  roots  of 
plants,  and  is  then  made  to  yield  up  its  nitrogen  to  build  those 
nitrogeneous  compounds  so  abundant  in  the  tissues  of  animals.”! 
Nitrogen  is  present  in  the  soil  in  the  form  of  nitrates. 


*  Wiley's  Agricultural  Analysis,  page  6. 
+  The  Soil,  King,  page  79. 


13 


The  function  of  nitrogen  is  to  strengthen  plants  in  their  early 
growth.  It  favors  leaf  development  and  imparts  a  deep,  healthy 
green  color  to  the  foliage.  In  excessive  quantities  it  will  produce 
a  rank  growth  of  foliage  and  sappy  wood  at  the  expense  of  fruit 
development  and  flavor.  This  point  should  be  carefully  noted 
by  horticulturists  and  nitrogenous  fertilizers  should  be  used  with 
caution  if  fruit  development  is  desired. 

TEXTURE  OF  SOILS. 

Ere  the  reader  has  reached  this  point  in  the  discussion  he  will 
doubtless  have  observed  that  the  soil  consists  of  two  portions,  one 
organic  derived  from  the  various  forms  of  life  associated  with  it, 
the  other  mineral  consisting  of  sand  and  clay  in  various  propor¬ 
tions. 

The  great  bulk  of  soils  is  sand  and  clay  and  upon  the  variable 
amounts  of  these  materials  is  based  their  popular  classification. 
The  sand  and  clay  comes  for  the  most  part  from  the  decomposi¬ 
tion  of  the  underlying  rocks.  The  gradation  between  sandy  and 
clayey  soils  are  roughly  expressed  by  such  terms  and  distinctions 
as  the  following: 

Per  cent,  of  clay  or 

Impalpable  matter.  Per  cent.  sand. 

Heavy  clay . 75  to  90 . 10  to  25 

Clay  loams . 60  to  75 . 25  to  40 

Loam  . 40  to  60 . 40  to  60 

Sandy  loam . 25  to  40 . 60  to  75 

Light  sandy  loam . 10  to  25 . 75  to  90 

Sand .  o  to  10 .  90  to  100 

Analyses  of  two  typical  soils  of  the  State  will  serve  to  show  the 
component  physical  parts.  Soil  1  is  from  The  Dalles  and  repre¬ 
sents  a  great  extent  of  country.  Soil  2  is  one  very  common  in 
the  Willamette  valley  and  wras  taken  from  the  foot  hills  south  of 
Eugene. 


No.  1 

No.  2 

(I) 

Coarse  sand . . 

. 304 . 

. ....80.5 

15) 

Sand . 

.  2.5 

13) 

Fine  sand . 

.  2.0 

(4) 

•  Silt  or  clay . 

. 33  4 . 

...  . 14.0 

In  the  complete  decomposition  of  either  animal  or  vegetable 
matter  the  resulting  products  are  chiefly  carbonic  dioxid,  am¬ 
monia,  and  water,  but  there  is  an  intermediate  stage  in  this  pro¬ 
cess  of  decomposition — this  passage  from  woody  fibre  to  gaseous 
matter — in  which  the  material  is  called  humus.  Leaf  mold  large¬ 
ly  consists  of  humus:  peat  is  a  mixture  of  this  humus  with  unde- 


14 


composed  vegetable  matter:  the  “duff  ”  soils  common  to  the  wooded 
lands  of  our  coast  region  furnish  another  example. 

Humus  is  not  a  definite  compound  hut  rather  a  mixture  of 
several  compounds  whose  properties  and  individual  characteris¬ 
tics  are  not  as  yet  understood  on  account  of  their  complex  nature 
and  the  difficulty  of  isolating  them  without  effecting  some  chemi¬ 
cal  change  in  them.  While  humus  is  not  an  essential  plant  food 
yet  it  is  a  valuable  storehouse  of  nitrogen,  and  materially  in¬ 
fluences  the  physical  character  of  the  soil.  “  W  e  should  think  of 
humus  as  the  food  of  microscopic  life  in  the  soil,  and  of  the  waste 
products  of  this  microscopic  life  as  a  very  essential  part  of  the 
food  of  higher  plants.”  * 

Humus  is  especially  valuable  in  light  sandy  soils  since  it  will 
absorb  and  retain  more  moisture  than  any  other  soil  ingredient; 
clay  soils  it  materially  improves  by  loosening  and  aerating.  On 
account  of  its  very  close  relation  to  the  moisture  content  of  soils 
much  care  should  be  taken  to  conserve  and  protect  it,  and  par¬ 
ticularly  is  this  true  in  the  eastern  part  of  the  State,  where  the 
continued  open  culture  practiced  in  all  grain  farming  followed 
by  bare  fallow  is  extremely  wasteful  of  this  important  ingredient. 
Indeed  this  practice  is  rapidly  telling  on  the  ability  of  those  light 
soils  to  withstand  drought.  It  has  been  shown  that  by  the  prac¬ 
tice  of  bare  fallow  five  times  as  much  humus  is  oxidized  and  de¬ 
stroyed  as  would  be  removed  by  the  growth  of  a  crop.  There  is 
no  doubt  but  that  the  crop  succeeding  the  fallow  will  be  percep¬ 
tibly  increased  but  the  ultimate  effect  is  to  get  the  land  out  of 
condition  and  very  much  lessen  its  capacity  to  withstand  drouth. 

In  the  Willamette  valley  the  subject  of  proper  drainage  has  a 
very  close  relation  to  the  maintainance  of  humus  supply,  for  un¬ 
less  this  condition  obtains  nitrification,  or  the  conversion  of 
nitrogenous  organic  material  to  nitrates,  cannot  wTell  take  place. 
In  speaking  of  this  formation  Dr.  II.  W.  Wiley  says:  “Above  the 
water  level  there  is  a  very  free  access  of  air  and  even  the  harder 
parts  of  the  leaf  skeleton  can  be  oxidized  through  the  agency  of 
bacteria,  while  under  the  water  level  there  is  a  very  limited  sup¬ 
ply  of  air  and  this  oxidation  cannot  proceed  rapidly.”  \  On  ac¬ 
count  of  the  high  water-level  the  formation  of  humus  in  the  soils 
of  the  Willamette  valley  is  much  impeded.  There  is  still  a 

*The  Soil,  King,  page  95. 

+  Wiley’s  Agricultural  Analysis,  page  61. 


15 


farther  reason  for  improving  the  drainage  of  these  lands  in  that 
there  are  also  other  microorganisms  which  restore  nitrogen  to  the 
air  from  the  nitrates  already  found  thus  tending  to  decrease  the 
store  of  nitrogen.  Denitrifying  organisms  are  particularly  active 
in  soils  carrying  a  limited  supply  of  air — soils  that  are  “water¬ 
logged” — which  fact  offers  another  potent  reason  for  giving  more 
attention  to  drainage.  The  influence  of  these  miroorganisms  in 
producing  and  maintaining  soil  fertility  is  of  the  highest  import¬ 
ance,  for  in  most  cases  of  worn  soils  they  may  be  made  to  pre¬ 
clude  the  necessity  of  purchasing  high-priced  nitrogenous  fertil¬ 
izers.  This  process  of  nitrification  resulting  in  the  conversion  of 
ammonia  into  nitric  acid  through  the  action  of  microorganisms, 
occurs  only  in  the  upper  stratum  of  the  soil  where  access  of  oxygen 
for  supporting  the  acting  organisms  is  greatest.  The  activity 
is  of  a  necessity  increased  by  the  porosity  of  ths  soil  and  by 
exposing  new  surfaces  to  action.  The  most  recent  Rothamstead 
experiments  demonstrate  that  little  or  no  nitrification  occurs  in 
the  subsoil;  2-3  feet  being  evidently  the  extreme  depth  at  which 
the  phenomenon  occurs.*  The  nitric  acid  of  the  soil  below  this 
depth  is  doubtless  carried  thither  in  the  drainage  or  by  diffusion. 
The  depth  at  which  nitrification  may  occur,  however,  is  capable 
of  considerable  variation,  not  only  because  of  the  physical  con¬ 
dition  of  the  soil,  and  access  of  oxygen,  but  also  on  account  of 
the  character  of  the  crop  grown;  leguminous  plants,  like  the  vetch 
and  the  clover,  seeming  to  possess  the  property  of  considerably 
increasing  not  only  the  depth  at  which  the  transformation  may 
occur,  but  also  the  activity  of  nitrifying  organisms.! 

There  are  no  two  factors  in  conserving  the  humus  already  in 
soils,  and  in  aiding  its  development  more  important  than  good 
drainage,  and  the  rational  use  of  green  manures,  particularly 
clover. 

Thus  having  briefly  covered  the  general  principles  of  soils  and 
the  function  of  their  critical  elements,  we  come  to  a  more  detailed 
discussion  of  the  soils  of  Oregon.  All  samples  have  been  taken 
according  to  the  same  directions,  which  were  purposely  made  in 
harmony  with  the  method  employed  by  Dr.  Hilgard  for  the  sake 
of  comparison  (See  appendix.) 


*  Stockbridge’s  Rocks  and  Soils,  page  138. 

^Warrington,  Journal  Chemical  Society,  February,  1887. 


16 

NATURAL  DIVISIONS  OF  THE  STATE. 

Owing  to  the  topography  and  climatic  conditions  of  the  State, 
sharp  contrasts  in  agricultural  possibilities  are  forced  upon  us. 
The  Cascade  range,  150  miles  from  the  coast,  divides  the  State 
into  two  parts,  differing  from  each  other  so  much  in  climate  as 
to  render  the  terms  arid  and  humid  strictly  applicable  respective¬ 
ly  to  the  eastern  and  western  parts  of  the  State.  The  western 
area  of  this  grand  natural  division  is  subdivided  by  the  Coast 
range,  between  which  and  the  Cascade  lies  the  Willamette  valley. 
While  under  the  term  humid  area,  we  must  include  the  entire 
western  part  of  the  State,  yet  the  geological  formations  of  the 
southern  part  of  this  area  are  so  different  from  those  of  the  Will¬ 
amette  valley  as  to  give  rise  to  an  entirely  different  character  of 
soils,  and  render  it  necessary  to  give  them  a  place  by  themselves. 
Hence  the  retention  of  the  term  “  Southern  Oregon,”  as  popularly 
used,  to  denote  that  portion  of  the  western  or  humid  area  south 
of  Lane  county,  is  very  apt  for  our  present  purpose.  The  area 
east  of  the  Cascade  range  is  so  radically  different  from  the  humid 
area  of  the  western  part  of  the  State  as  to  bring  about  distinctly 
different  soil  conditions,  but  not  different  from  those  of  other 
parts'  of  the  world  having  a  scanty  rainfall.  It  is  in  this  sense 
of  limited  rainfall  that  the  term  arid  is  used.  It  does  not  in  the 
least  imply  that  the  lands  are  not  of  equal  value  with  those  of 
the  humid  area.  Indeed,  it  is  true  that  this  same  “arid”  soil  is, 
from  natural  causes,  likely  to  be  the  very  richest  in  plant  food. 

With  these  few  remarks  as  to  the  natural  divisions  of  the  State, 
I  proceed  to  discuss  some  of  the  more  prominent  features  of  the 
soils  as  they  appear  from  an  examination  of  a  considerable  num¬ 
ber  of  samples. 

WILLAHETTE  VALLEY. 

The  Willamette  valley,  embracing  about  5,000,000  acres,  is  by 
far  the  largest  valley  in  the  State.  It  is  about  130  miles  in 
length  by  60  in  width  and  extends  from  a  low  range  of  hills  on 
south  (Calipooias)  to  Portland  on  the  north.  To  show  how  well 
watered  is  this  valley  it  may  be  stated  that  over  40  streams  feed 
the  Willamette  in  its  course,  and  the  stream  is  navigable  for 
about  100  miles  from  its  mouth. 

The  soils  of  this  valley  may  be  classified  under  two  general 
heads,  viz:  those  of  the  foot  hills  and  those  of  the  bottom  lands 
extending  on  each  bank  of  the  river.  The  former  comprise  a  belt 


17 


of  rolling  land  extending  nearly  around  the  prairie  and  merging 
into  the  mountains.  The  prevailing  soils  are  of  basaltic  origin 
mixed  with  more  or  less  sandstone  soil  on  the  west  side.  The 
purely  basaltic  soils  are  mostly  confined  to  the  hills  where  they 
are  generated.  All  the  “bottom  land”  is  of  an  alluvial  nature 
and  varies  greatly  in  depth,  from  a  few  inches  to  many  feet.  It 
is  composed  of  the  washings  from  the  hills  and  consists,  as  one 
would  infer  from  the  above,  of  decomposed  volcanic  matter,  some¬ 
what  basaltic  in  nature,  mixed  with  sand  and  a  large  amount  of 
vegetable  mould  or  “  humus,”  the  last  named  substance  being  the 
more  abundant  in  this  portion  of  the  State  because  of  the  humid 
climate. 

It  is  a  fact  noticed  in  Italy  long  since,  and  borne  out  by  ex¬ 
perience  in  this  northwest,  that  the  soils  of  volcanic  origin  are  of 
unsurpassed  fertility.  The  basalt  from  which  much  of  the 
soil  in  Oregon  is  derived  is  not  like  most  rocks  in  respect  to  its 
make-up  for  it  contains,  from  the  very  nature  of  the  case,  the  fer¬ 
tilizing  ingredients  of  a  combination  of  rocks.  Basalt  is  a  com¬ 
plex  mineral  and  a  type  of  basic  rocks.  It  is  a  very  dark,  almost 
black,  rock,  exceedingly  hard  and  quite  heavy;  mineralogically 
it  is  made  up  of  plagioclase  (a  soda-lime  feldspar)  augite,  and 
olivine;  it  also  nearly  always  contains  more  or  less  magnetic  iron 
ore  and  other  minerals.  Chemically  the  rock  contains  silica, 
lime,  potash,  soda,  magnesia,  oxids  of  iron  and  manganese,  and 
alumina.  There  is  one  quite  notable  feature  as  to  one  of  the 
mineral  ingredients  of  basalt — augite — that  it  not  infrequently 
contains  considerable  phosphoric  anhydride  (P205),  occurring  in 
a  crystalline  form  as  apatite.  In  spite  of  the  fact  that  some  of 
the  books  published  state  that  basalt  forms  soil  very  slowly,  yet 
the  rocks  are  really  fragile  and  short  lived.  They  appear  to  be 
dense  and  lasting,  but  being  complex  in  structure  and  containing 
a  considerable  amount  of  protoxid  of  iron,  which  is  capable  of 
further  oxidation,  and  this  quite  rapidly,  forming  a  sesqui-oxid, 
the  cohesion  of  the  mineral  is  loosened  and  the  rock  breaks  up. 
At  the  foot  of  every  basaltic  cliff  is  found  a  pile  of  debris  and  all 
over  the  basalt  country  this  crumbling  proceeds  regularly  and 
comparatively  rapidly. 

The  formation  of  this  immense  quantity  of  basalt  was  from  the 
great  laval  overflow,  and  the  lesser  and  subsequent  ones,  which 
covered  the  whole  of  northern  California,  a  greater  part  of  Ore- 


18 


gon,  Washingto  and  Idaho,  and  extended  into  Nevada.  Some  of, 
the  lava  beds  formed  at  this  time  show  a  depth  of  3000  feet  or 
more.  This  then  is  briefly  the  source  of  the  soils  of  the  Willa¬ 
mette  valley. 

LIMITS  OF  FERTILITY. 

In  the  following  pages  only  those  elements  which  are  of  chief 
importance  in  having  often  to  be  replaced  in  the  shape  of  com¬ 
mercial  fertilizers,  will  be  considered,  viz.,  lime,  potash,  phosphoric 
acid  and  nitrogen  (humus).  Just  what  constitutes  a  sufficiency 
of  these  materials  for  successfully  growing  a  crop  will  differ  some¬ 
what  with  the  nature  of  the  crop,  and  very  largely  with  the  physi¬ 
cal  conditions  of  the  soil.  Prof.  Hilgard,  than  whom  no  one  is 
more  competent  to  judge,  gives  the  following  as  to  the  minimum 
percentages  for  a  thrifty  growth  of  green  crops: 

“Lime. — o.io  per  cent,  in  the  highest  sandy  soil;  0.25  per  cent,  in  clay 
loams;  0.30  per  cent,  in  heavy  clay  soils,  and  it  may  rise  with  advantage  to 
one  or  two  per  cent,  as  a  maximum.  Beyond  the  latter  figure  it  seems  in 
no  case  to  act  more  favorably  than  a  less  amount,  unless  it  be  mechanically.” 

“Phosphoric  acid. — In  sandy  loams,  0.25  per  cent,  when  accompanied 
by  a  good  supply  of  lime.  The  maximum  found  in  the  best  Mississippi  table 
lands  was  0.25  per  cent.;  in  the  best  bottom  land  of  the  same  region,  0.30.” 
His  investigation  in  connection  with  the  Northern  Pacific  survey  also  show¬ 
ed  that  this  ingredient  was  more  abundant  in  the  soils  of  Oregon  and  Wash¬ 
ington  than  in  the  soils  of  California.*  In  the  basaltic  soils  it  may  even 
run  as  high  as  .30  or  more.  In  sandy  loam,  .0.1  percent.,  when  accom¬ 
panied  by  a  fair  supply  of  lime,  secures  fair  productiveness  for  from  eight  to 
ten  years  ;  with  a  deficiency  of  lime,  twice  that  percentage  would  only  serve 
for  a  similar  time.” 

“Potash, — The  potash  percentage  of  heavy  clay  upland  soil  and  clay 
loams  ranges  from  about  0.8  to  0.5  per  cent.;  lighter  loams  from  0.45  to  0.30; 
sandy  loams  below  0.30  and  sandy  loams  of  great  depth  may  fall  below  o.  10 
consistent  with  good  productiveness  and  durability.  Virgin  soils  with  a 
less  percentage  than  .06  seem  in  most  cases  to  be  deficient  in  available  pot¬ 
ash.  *  *  *  Sometimes,  however,  a  soil  very  rich  in  lime  and  phosphoric 

acid,  shows  good  productiveness,  despite  a  very  low  potash  percentage.” 

The  same  author  says  in  another  article  that — 

“  No  virgin  soil  having  .50  per  cent.,  or  over  of  potash  will  wear  out  first 
on  that  side  of  the  store  of  plant  food;  and  much  less  will  suffice  in  the  pre¬ 
sence  of  much  lime  and  humus.” 

“  Humus. — This  is  of  great  interest  to  us  since  it  is  the  storehouse  of  the 
nitrogen  supply  and  its  determination  serves  as  a  measure  of  the  nitrogen. 
I11  oak  uplands  of  the  cotton  States  the  range  is  usually  between  .70  and  .80 
percent.;  in  the  poorer  sandy  soils  from  .40  to  .50  per  cent.;  in  black  cal¬ 
careous  1.2  to  2.80  per  cent.  In  western  Oregon  it  is  not  uncommon  to  find 
3  and  even  6  per  cent.” 


*Cal.  Expt.  Station  Report,  1888. 


19 

ANALYSIS  NO.  629-SOIL  FROM  MULTNOriAH  COUNTY. 


Coarse  material  >  .5  m.m . 35-5° 

Fine  earth .  64.5-j 

ANALYSIS  OF  FINE  EARTH  (AIR  DRY). 

Insoluble  matter . 1 . 60.65 

Soluble  silica . 11.12 

Potash  (K20) . 25 

Soda  (Na20) . 33 

Lime  (CaO) .  1.27 

Magnesia  MgO . 1.23 


Manganese  (Mna04) 
Iron  (Fe20;J  ) 

Alumina  (A.l20;Jf 
Sulfuric  acid  (SO*). 


Phosphoric  acid  (P2Os) . 40 

Water  and  organic  matter . . . 12.16 


Total . 99.55 

Humus . .  .  .  2.60 


Sample  No.  629  was  taken  near  Overton  Park,  about  3 
miles  east  of  Portland,  to  a  depth  of  2^  feet.  In  other  localities 
this  type  of  soil  is  called  “shot-land.”  (See  Washington  county.) 
The  soil  is  underlaid  by  gravel,  which  insures  it  good  natural 
drainage,  and  it  represents  an  extent  of  country  about  50  miles 
square,  the  general  lay  of  which  is  level.  The  natural  growth 
reported  is  fir,  vine  maple,  dogwood,  and  wild  cherry.  Native 
strawberries  are  also  abundant.  The  report  states  that  fruit  has 
been  planted  with  good  success  on  this  character  of  soil  in  the 
same  locality.  Judged  according  to  the  standards  previously 
given,  it  would  appear  to  be  a  most  excellent  “all  around”  soil.  The 
lime  supply  is  superior  to  that  of  most  soils  of  the  Willamette 
valley.  Were  it  not  for  the  abundance  of  this  ingredient  the  soil 
might  be  considered  weak  in  potash,  but  the  potash  present,  on 
account  of  the  lime,  is  likely  to  be  quite  available.  Its  phosphoric 
acid  and  its  humus  content  is  each  most  excellent.  Its  weakest 
point  is  potash,  but  it  could  by  no  means  be  called  deficient  in 
this  ingredient.  The  humus  supply  is  greater  than  in  similar 
soils  in  Washington  county  as  will  be  seen  by  comparing  the 
analyses. 


SOILS  FROM  WASHINGTON  COUNTY. 


20 


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1  C — The  average  depth  of  the  soil  is  about  3  feet.  It  is  a 
mixture  of  decomposed  soapstone  with  some  sand  and  feldspar. 
It  is  a  gray  loam  which  darkens  considerably  on  wetting  and  be¬ 
comes  fairly  plastic  on  kneading.  In  the  analyses  of  the  soil  the 
most  striking  feature  is*  the  very  low  percentage  of  potash  and 
phosphoric  acid  and  were  these  not  in  a  very  available  form  it 
would  be  considered  deficient  in  these  ingredients.  That  these 
ingredients  are  in  an  available  form  is  shown  by  the  fact  that 
soil  from  the  same  general  locality  has  produced  good  crops  for  a 
long  series  of  years.  The  high  percentage  of  magnesia  is  con¬ 
sistent  with  the  soil’s  origin.  Its  lime  content  is  fair  for  a  soil  of 
this  character,  but  good  results  would  probably  follow  an  appli¬ 
cation  of  a  mixture  of  lime  and  potash,  or  still  better,  perhaps,  a 
complete  fertilizer. 

1  D — This  is  a  stiff  red  clay  and  very  waxy.  The  dry  lumps 
are  almost  impossible  to  crush  and  darken  only  slightly  on 
moistening.  To  render  this  soil  suitable  for  crops  it  should  be 
drained.  It  seems  to  be  fairly  well  supplied  with  mineral  food, 
but  is  quite  weak  in  humus.  The  addition  of  organic  matter  in 
the  shape  of  barnyard  manure  would  much  improve  its  physical 
condition  and  at  the  same  time  add  much  to  its  store  of  nitrogen 
(humus).  Straw  could  be  worked  into  this  soil  to  advantage. 

1  F.,  1  G.,  I  H.,  1  L.,  No.  425. — These  are  all  red  soils  which 
characterize  quite  an  area  in  Washington  county.  They  are 
known  locally  under  the  name  of  “  shot-land.”  No.  425  is 
notably  deficient  in  both  phosphoric  acid  and  potash  and  is  not 
strong  in  humus.  The  lime  supply  is  about  the  average  for 
western  Oregon  and  would  be  considered  fair.  The  soil  would 
doubtless  respond  well  to  fertilizers  containing  all  three  of  the 
critical  elements.  No.  1  F  is  weak  in  both  potash  and  phosphoric 
acid  but  well  supplied  with  lime  and  humus.  Its  weakness  is  in 
the  same  points  as  No.  425,  with  the  exception  of  humus,  with 
which  ingredient  1  F  is  very  well  supplied. 

No.  449 — This  sample  may  be  classed  with  the  grey  clay 
loams  characterizing  the  bottom  lands  of  the  Willamette  valley. 
This  sample  was  taken  from  8-10  inches  in  depth  on  the  Dairy 
Creek  bottom  and  had  never  been  cultivated.  The  natural  growth 
is  reported  to  be  white  fir  and  maple.  On  wetting  the  soil  be- 

The  different  style  of  numbering  is  due  the  adoption  of  consecutive  numbers  to 
designate  sample  in  the  laboratory. 


22 


comes  a  deep  black,  and  somewhat  sticky  on  kneading.  It  is 
rich  in  phosphates  but  weak  in  potash.  It  carries  a  high  iron 
content  for  a  soil  of  this  character,  and  doubtless  the  phosphoric 
acid  is  there  combined.  Gypsum  would  probably  produce  good 
results  on  this  soil  in  setting  free  potas*h  inasmuch  as  the  nat¬ 
ural  lime  supply  is  not  strong.  The  humus  supply  is  good,  but 
if  gypsum  is  applied  it  would  be  best  used  in  connection  with 
clover.! 

No.  2  N  is  a  sandy  loam  of  light  color,  which  changes  to  a 
light  brown  on  wetting,  but  the  soil  does  not  become  sticky.  It 
is  a  soil  of  excellent  texture  and  is  a  type  of  soils  prevalent  on 
the  lowest  creek  bottoms  in  the  same  general  region  as  No.  449. 
The  physical  analysis  shows  the  soil  to  be  composed  of  very  fine 
material.  This  soil  is  abundantly  supplied  with  potash  and  has 
an  exceptionally  good  phosphoric  acid  content,  and  is  rich  in 
humus.  It  is  an  instance  which  shows  that  the  color  of  soils  is 
not  always  indicative  of  the  humus  content,  for  the  light  colored 
soils  often  carry  quite  heavy  percentages  of  humus  and  particu¬ 
larly  is  this  true  of  certain  red  soils.  The  fertility  of  the  soils 
would  be  improved  by  the  addition  of  lime. 

No.  623  is  a  typical  soil  of  this  same  region  and  usually  oc¬ 
curs  in  strips  separated  by  the  “  shot-lands.”  While  the  soil  is 
black  in  color  it  seems  to  have  been  originally  composed  of  the 
same  material  as  the  red  soils  above  mentioned.  It  is  marked  by 
the  same  characteristics  as  the  shot-lands  except  so  far  as  the 
humus  or  organic  matter  is  concerned  of  wrhich  ingredient  it 
carries  about  twice  as  much  as  the  average  of  these  lands.  The 
lime  content  is  most  excellent  which  will  help  out  an  apparent 
deficiency  in  potash. 

No.  624. — This  is  another  of  the  sandy  loams  of  this  region, 
but  of  coarser  texture  than  that  described  above.  A  very  notice¬ 
able  feature  of  this  soil  is  the  extremely  small  amount  of  “soluble 
silica”  as  well  as  a  great  paucity  in  lime.  The  soil  would  be 
much  improved  by  liming.  Applications  of  wood  ashes  wrould 
no  doubt  produce  excellent  results.  The  use  of  either  of  these 
materials  would  not  only  improve  the  chemical  nature  of  these 
soils  but  would  also  tend  to  give  them  more  body.  Recent  ex¬ 
periments  have  shown  that  not  infrequently  is  it  the  cagfc  that 
wood  ashes  are  fully  as  valuable  for  the  lime  present  as  for  the 
potash. 


2a 

ANALYSIS  NO.  447— SOIL  FROM  CLACKAMAS  COUNTY. 


Coarse  material  >  .5  m.m . 25.50 

Fine  earth .  . . . . 74  5° 

Capacity  for  water . 36.00 

ANALYSIS  OF  FINE  EARTH  (AIR  DRY). 

Insoluble  matter . 75. 96 

Soluble  silica .  4.00 

Potash  (K20) . 29 

Soda  (Na.,0) . 36 

Lime  (CaO) . 59 

Magnesia  (MgO) . 80 

Manganese  (Mn;t04) . 

Iron  (Fe203)  ) 

Alumina  (Al203)f  .  ' 

Sulfuric  acid  (S03)  . . 04 

Phosphoric  acid  (P205) . 31 

Water  and  organic  matter .  5.28 


Total . 1 . 99.93 

Humus . 55 


No.  447  was  sent  from  Scappoose  by  Mr.  J.  C.  Johnson.  It 
is  similar  in  appearance  to  the  “  shot-lands  ”  previously  described 
and  should  be  classified  with  them.  The  soil  is  about  16  inches 
deep,  underlaid  by  clay,  and  this  in  turn  by  gravel.  The  natural 
growth  is  fir,  vine  maple  and  hazel.  The  soil  is  said  to  produce 
good  clover  and  other  staple  crops.  The  lime  supply  of  this  soil 
is  fair,  its  potash  supply  moderate,  its  phosphoric  acid  excellent, 
and  humus  very  poor.  The  soil  would  be  much  improved  by  the 
growing  of  clover  or  other  green  crops,  reinforced  by  applications 
of  gypsum  to  liberate  the  plant  food  present  of  which  there  seems 
to  be  a  fair  quantity  but  probably  not  in  as  available  a  condition 
as  is  desirable. 

SOILS  FROn  YAHHILL  COUNTY. 


ANALYSIS. 

Coarse  material  >  .5  m.m . 

Fine  earth . . . 

ANALYSIS  OF  FINE  EARTH  (  AIR  DRY 

Insoluble  matter . 

Soluble  silica . t . 

Potash  (K20) . . . 

Soda  (Na90)...  . . . 

Lime  (CaO) . .  . 

Magnesia  (MgO) . . 

Manganese  (Mm:,04) . 

Iron  (Ne203)  ( 

Alumina  (Al203)f  . 

Sulphuric  acid  i  S03) . 

Phosphoric  acid  (P205) . 

Water  and  organic  matter . . . 

Total.. . . 

Humus... . . 


No.  768. 

No.  769. 

...  3.00 

5-50 

94.50 

)- 

.  74.02 

73.10 

..  2.45 

2. 11 

.38 

•  •  -54 

.65 

...  .63 

•43 

••  .63 

•53 

Trace 

10.01 

Trace 

...  .23 

.76 

..  11.25 

12.33 

100.40 

■••  3-57 

3-30 

24 


Nos.  768  and  769  are  both  samples  of  the  grey  clay  loams 
of  the  Willamette  valley.  Underlaying  these  soils  there  is  a 
“hardpan”  at  a  depth  of  about  2-J  feet.  In  this  locality  the 
ground  is  rolling  and  is  similar  to  sample  for  six  miles  square. 
The  natural  growth  is  oak,  maple,  wild  rose  and  blackberry. 
Analysis  shows  the  soils  to  be  well  supplied  with  plant  food  and 
particularly  is  this  true  of  humus.  Ground  limestone  could  be 
applied  to  these  soils  to  good  advantage,  or,  perhaps  better,  air- 
slacked  lime. 


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No.  2  A  is  a  good  type  of  the  beaverdam  soil  which  is  common 
in  the  vicinity  of  Woodburn.  Attention  is  called  to  its  high  ca¬ 
pacity  to  absorb  moisture  in  connection  with  its  high  percentage 
of  humus.  Its  potash  supply  is  very  abundant;  it  is  well  sup¬ 
plied  with  lime,  but  deficient  in  phosphoric  acid.  The  lime  and 
potash  would  in  a  measure  compensate  for  this  deficiency.  The 
humus  supply  is  excellent.  Bonemeal  could  doubtless  be  used 
to  advantage  to  bring  up  the  phosphoric  acid  supply  gradually. 
If  well  drained  it  would  make  a  most  excellent  fruit  soil. 

No.  2  B  is  the  subsoil  of  2  A  taken  from  2-3  feet  below  the 
surface.  It  is  of  an  entirely  different  character  from  the  soil 
proper. 

No.  426  is  a  red  hill  soil  from  near  Salem.  No  data  accom¬ 
panies  the  sample.  In  appearance  and  physical  action  it  is  very 
similar  to  No.  619,  although  its  phosphoric  acid  content 
is  much  higher  and  its  humus  percentage  much  lower.  It  is  poor 
in  lime  and  rich  in  magnesia.  Clover  crops  would  no  doubt  ma¬ 
terially  improve  the  soil  as  would  also  applications  of  gypsum. 
It  would  prove  a  good  soil  for  fruit. 

No.  626.-  -This  soil  is  a  brown  prairie  loam  of  great  depth, 
the  soil  having  been  bored  to  a  depth  of  300  feet  without  reach¬ 
ing  rock.  It  is  the  soil  of  several  townships  in  the  locality  of 
S.  W.  i  of  Sec.  35,  T.  4  S.  1  W.  The  sample  was  taken  to  a  depth 
of  2  feet.  Water  is  found  at  a  depth  of  about  20  feet  and  is  hard, 
which  would  be  expected  from  the  high  lime  and  magnesia  per¬ 
centages.  The  land  is  easily  cultivated.  It  contains  enough  of 
the  reddish  soil  from  the  neighboring  hills  to  give  it  a  tinge  of 
that  color.  The  soil  is  too  weak  in  potash  to  be  a  lasting  one  for 
pitted  fruits,  although  the  lime  supply  will  assist  in  the  produc¬ 
tion  of  good  crops  for  a  number  of  years.  Both  phosphoric  acid 
and  humus  are  abundant.  The  soil  will  first  need  potassium  fer¬ 
tilizers.  Ashes  could  be  used  with  profit  on  such  soils  as  the  one 
under  consideration. 

No.  622. — This  is  a  prairie  soil  from  near  lake  Labish.  The 
sample  was  taken  to  a  depth  of  2  feet.  Water  is  found  in  the 
locality  at  a  depth  of  20  feet.  There  are  many  hundreds  of  acres 
of  similar  land  along  the  line  of  the  0.  &  C.  railroad.  In  this 
sample  there  is  sufficient  material  from  the  hill  lands  intermingled 
with  the  purely  bottom  soil  to  impart  a  distinctly  reddish  tinge 
to  the  sample.  Most  of  the  soils  of  this  character  are  a  little 


26 


lighter  in  color.  In  the  early  days  orchards  were  placed  on  this 
soil  but  they  have  now  gone  to  decay.  The  soil  is  very  flat  and  is 
not  well  drained.  It  is  well  supplied  with  potash  and  humus  but 
deficient  in  phosphoric  acid,  a  fact  which  is  usual  with  soils  of 
this  valley.  It  needs  drainage  at  present  more  than  fertilizers. 

No.  628  and  628 %  are  both  samples  of  red  hill  land  of  Marion 
county.  The  two  samples  were  taken  about  150  feet  apart. 
Their  color  is  dark  reddish  brown — a  little  darker  than  most  soils 
of  the  same  region.  The  texture  of  the  soil  is  good.  The  lime 
and  the  potash  supply  are  fair  for  a  soil  of  this  texture,  but 
would  be  considered  low  for  a  soil  of  a  heavier  type;  phosphoric 
acid  is  excellent  as  well  as  humus,  but  the  high  iron-plus-alum¬ 
ina  would  indicate  the  former  not  to  be  very  available.  Applica¬ 
tions  of  lime  would  probably  be  followed  with  good  results. 

No.  619 — This  is  taken  from  S.  E.  \  of  N.  E.  ^  of  Sec.  27,  T. 
8  S.,  R.  3  W.  near  the  town  of  Rosedale.  It  is  a  typical  red  hill 
soil  “  underlaid  by  a  soft  porous  rock  which  apparently  gives  rise 
to  the  soil.”  The  natural  growth  is  that  previously  described  for 
similar  soils.  Water  is  found  at  a  depth  of  about  13  feet.  Soils 
of  this  character  have  yielded  excellent  crops  of  wheat  for  many 
years  in  succession.  About  2000  acres  of  such  soils  in  this  vicin¬ 
ity  have  been  planted  to  fruit  and  with  good  results.  Chemical 
analysis  shows  that  these  will  be  very  lasting  soils  for  all  critical 
elements  are  present  in  abundance,  although  the  very  high  iron 
content  would  indicate  that  much  of  the  phosphoric  acid  is  in¬ 
soluble.  Attention  is  also  directed  to  the  very  high  “water  and 
organic  matter.”  Of  this  amount  6.36  and  7.52  per  cent,  re¬ 
spectively  was  hygroscopic  moisture,  leaving  a  large  part  of  it 
for  combination — probably  as  hydrated  alumina.  No.  619^  is 
subsoil  of  619. 

Polk  county  has  an  area  of  about  eight  hundred  square  miles. 
Its  soil  conditions  in  general  are  the  same  as  characterize  the 
larger  part  of  the  Willamette  valley.  Its  bottom  lands  are  a 
deep  grey  loam  which  is  very  productive  of  cereals  and  is  well 
represented  by  soil  No.  1  K,  but  the  fertility  of  these  soils  hardly 
exceeds  that  of  the  hills  which  are  red  in  color  but  of  different 
physical  texture  from  the  red  hills  of  Washington  and  Clackamas 
counties  previously  described. 


27 

SOILS  OF  POLK  COUNTY. 


COMPONENTS. 


Character  of  soil 


Coarse  material  >  .5  m  m . 

Fine  earth . 

Hygroscopic  moisture  (15°  C.) . 

Capacity  for  water .  . 

ANALYSIS  OF  FINE  EARTH  [AIR  DRY). 

Insoluble  matter . 

Soluble  silica . 

Potash  (K20) . 

Soda  (NaaO) . 

Lime  (CaO' . 

Magnesia  (MgOl . 

Manganese  (Mn30*) . 

Iron  (Fe203) . 

Alumina  (,A1203) . 

Sulfuric  acid  (S03) . 

Phosphoric  acid  (P205) . . 

Water  and  organic  matter . 

Total . . . 

Humus . 


No.  409. 

J.  H.  Emmett. 
Eola. 

No.  424. 

J,  H.  Emmett 

Eola. 

No.  1  K. 

A.  W  Lucas, 

Monmouth. 

No.  625. 

Frank  Butler, 

Falls  City. 

Hill 

Subsoil 

Clay 

Redhill 

<409) 

Loam 

4i  34 

40  57 

18 

45  30 

59  66 

59  43 

99  82 

54  70 

5  68 

7  76 

32  00 

40  00 

53  00 

44  00 

56  66 

35  20 

74  02 

71  80 

12  59 

15  35 

6  44 

7  97 

02 

39 

24 

47 

01 

03 

06 

20 

2  01 

75 

60 

56  . 

02 

87 

55 

79 

Tt  ace 

04 

OS 

25  22 

30  84 

8  90 

2  71 

03 

I  I 

02 

47 

33 

22 

4  26 

15  08 

8  06 

15  28 

100  84 

99  02 

99  36 

100  00 

3  90 

1  81 

7  86 

6  59 

No.  409  is  a  sample  taken  from  three  miles  west  of  Salem, 
near  Eola  hills,  from  1  to  8  inches  deep.  The  soil  carries  much 
iron  to  which  the  red  color  is  undoubtedly  due.  The  sample  is 
deficient  in  both  phosphoric  acid  and  potash,  but  carries  an 
abundance  of  lime.  It  is  not  probable  that  this  sample  is  typical 
of  the  hills,  except  so  far  as  iron  is  concerned,  for  these  hills  have 
been  found  to  produce  well  under  continuous  cropping  for  many 
years  in  succession.  The  humus  content  is  high.  Probably  ap¬ 
plications  of  gypsum  or  sulfate  of  potash  would  be  followed  by 
good  results  on  this  soil. 

No.  1  K — This  is  an  ordinary  clay  loam.  The  field  from  which 
the  sample  was  taken  is  sufficiently  rolling  to  render  the  soil  self 
draining,  which  fact  makes  the  soil  a  typical  one  of  the  bottom 
soils  of  this  valley  when  w^ll  drained.  Its  water  capacity  is 
high,  ond  on  wetting  the  soil  becomes  quite  dark.  Phosphoric 
acid  is  high,  potash  and  lime  both  low,  and  humus  very  high, 
which  last  named  fact  no  doubt  accounts  for  its  high  water  ca¬ 
pacity  and  explains  the  remark  made  in  the  accompanying  report 
that  “it  holds  moisture  very  well.” 


28 


No.  625  is  a  red  hill  soil  of  excellent  texture.  The  red  color 
of  the  soil  is  evidently  not  due  to  the  presence  of  iron  for  this 
element  is  present  in  only  limited  quantities.  Lime  is  deficient 
in  the  soil,  but  all  other  ingredients  are  abundant.  The  soil 
would  be  much  improved  by  applications  of  lime  carbonate. 
Both  physically  and  chemically  the  soil  is  an  excellent  one. 

,  Benton  county  is  one  of  the  leading  agricultural  counties  of  the 
State.  Her  soils  resemble  those  of  other  portions  of  the  valley, 
particularly  those  of  Polk.  The  prairie  bottoms  are  of  a  rich 
dark  loam.  The  hills  are  of  a  reddish  soil  of  excellent  texture 
and  very  well  drained,  with  the  exception  of  here  and  there  spots 
of  adobe  to  be  discussed  later.  There  is  quite  a  body  of  “  white 

land”  found  in  various  low  lands  of  the  countv,  but  this  character 
of  soil  is  not  confined  to  the  limits  of  this  county.  This  heavv 
whitish  clay  is  destitute  of  natural  drainage,  but  when  artifically 
drained  it  rapidly  assumes  the  appearance  and  texture  of  the 
grey  loam  of  the  valley.  Its  present  condition  is  probably  the  re¬ 
sult  of  wretchedly  bad  drainage.  The  bottom  soils  are  made  up 
from  the  washings  from  the  hills  added  to  the  clays  and  loams 
from  the  former  sedimentary  deposits. 

SOILS  OF  BENTON  COUNTY. 


COMPONENTS. 


Character  of  soil 


Coarse  material  >  .5  m.m . 

Fine  earth . . . . 

Moisture  absorbed  at  150  C . 

Capacity  for  water . 

A.NAI  YSIS  OF  FINE  EARTHS.  [AIR  DRY]  , 

Insoluble  matter . . . 

Soluble  silica . 

Potash  (K20) . 

Soda  (Na20) . . . 

Lime  (CaO) . 

Magnesia  (MgO) . 

Manganese  (Mn304» . . . . 

Iron  (F203) . . . 

Alumina  (A1203).... . 

Sulfuric  acid  (.-  03) . . 

Phosphoric  acid  (  P2Os) . . 

Water  and  organic  matter . 

Total . 

Humus..... . '. . . 


No.  1  I. 
College  Farm, 
Co:  vallis. 

No.  1  J. 

Ditto. 

yi 

■  —  * 

I  ~-  rZ  ■  — 

o>csS 

C  V  t 

IS  bO  O 

’o 

u 

2  6 

dp 

No.  41 1. 

Belfountain  Prune 
Company, 
Monroe, 

Adobe 

Clay 

Clay 

loam 

White, 
un¬ 
drain  ’d 

Redhill 

2  25 
97  75 

1  75 
98  25 

5  60 
94  40 

16  50 

83  50 

56  00 

44  20 

60  00 

38  91 

72  70 

76  65 

70  26 

65  74 

16  14 

5  93 

9  25 

5  53 

4  94 

1 1 

47 

33 

06 

21 

03 

24 

08 

07 

40 

1  60 

1  60 

89 

66 

46 

!  78 

1  03 

SO 

05 

08 

10 

15 

04 

01 

23  21 

9  23 

8  oS 

•3  51 

12  56 

03 

20 

05 

02 

01 

05 

25 

03 

34 

U  44 

8  00 

3  56 

10  13 

14  82 

99  3i 

99  38 

100  24 

100  34 

99  55 

1  80 

7  64 

1  22 

5  9^ 

29 


The  analyses  of  Benton  county  soils  given  below  are  from  rep¬ 
resentative  samples  and  may  be  taken  as  showing  the  general 
composition  of  the  respective  kinds. 

No.  1  I  is  a  sample  of  adobe  taken  from  the  college  farm.  There 
are  considerable  areas  of  soil  of  this  character  scattered  through¬ 
out  the  Willamette  valley  and  southern  Oregon.  The  soil  is  un¬ 
derlaid  by  a  stiff  clay.  These  adobe  soils  become  exceedingly 
sticky  when  wet  and  are  very  difficult  to  work — in  fact  it  is  well 
night  impossible  to  work  them  unless  taken  at  exactly  the  right 
condition  of  moisture.  If  the  soil  is  thoroughly  tilled  it  retains 
moisture  well.  The  main  difficulty  with  this  land  lies  in  its  poor 
drainage.  If  some  inert  material  could  in  some  way  be  worked 
into  the  soil  it  would  render  it  materially  easier  to  work.  The 
fillability  of  the  soil  would  he  greatly  improved  by  as  much  lime 
as  could  be  afforded.  This  sample  contains  a  low  percentage  of  pot¬ 
ash,  but  is  exceptionally  high  in  soda  and  magnesia  percentages. 
Its  proportion  of  lime  is  most  excellent,  which  seems  to  be  a 
characteristic  of  such  black  soils,  noticed  in  California  as  well  as 
here.  The  soil  is  fair  in  phosphoric  acid,  considering  the  high 
humus  supply,  and  while  the  potash  lasts  should  produce  well  if 
given  the  most  thorough  tillage.  No  permanent  improvement  in 
this  soil  is  possible  until  it  is  thoroughly  underdrained. 

No.  1  J  is  a  heavy  clay  soil,  the  coarse  material  of  which  con¬ 
sists  almost  wholly  of  organic  matter,  as  sticks,  etc.  It  is  rich  in 
potash  but  deficient  in  phosphoric  acid,  and  contains  but  a  limit¬ 
ed  quantity  of  lime. 

No.  597  does  not  differ  from  other  clay  loams  of  the  valley  in 
the  physical  characteristics.  There  are  thousands  of  acres  simi¬ 
lar  to  the  sample  in  this  and  adjoining  counties.  This  sample  is 
well  supplied  with  both  potash  and  phosphoric  acid  as  well  as 
with  lime  and  has  a  high  water  capacity.  Experience  has  al¬ 
ready  demontrated  it  to  be  a  very  lasting  soil  the  reason  for 
which  is  evident  in  the  analysis. 

No.  410  is  a  typical  white-land  ”  sample  taken  from  a  very 
wet  undrained  portion  of  the  college  campus.  The  soil  examin¬ 
ed  is  deficient  in  both  potash  and  phosphoric  acid,  and  for  a  bot¬ 
tom  land  not  strong  in  humus.  The  soil  is  as  poor  as  can  well 
be  found  and  well  illustrates  the  effect  of  continued  leaching  of 
the  grey  loams.  This  type  of  soil  when  properly  drained  rapidly 
takes  on  a  darker  color,  and  improves  in  quality  under  proper 


30 


treatment,  which  fact  is  well  shown  on  the  portions  of  the  college 
campus  which  have  been  underdrained.  There  are  thousands  of 
acres  of  such  land  in  Benton  and  adjoining  counties  which  could 
be  brought  into  good  physical  condition  by  properly  underdrain¬ 
ing  associated  with  applications  of  lime  and  green  manures, 
some  of  the  chemical  effects  of  which  have  been  previously 
discussed  (See  page  14).  The  physical  effects  are,  however,  no 
less  important  than  the  chemical,  and  these  may  be  summarized 
as  follows: 

First,  it  renders  a  clay  soil  more  friable. 

Second,  it  makes  the  soil  warmer  during  the  wet  season  by 
lessening  the  evaporation  of  water. 

Third,  it  renders  the  soil  more  moist  during  the  summer  and 
therefore  more  able  to  withstand  drouth. 

No.  411  is  a  sample  of  red-hill  soil  from  near  Monroe.  It  is  a 
soil  of  most  excellent  texture  and  presents  ideal  condition  for 
fruit  growing.  The  phosphoric  acid  supply  is  most  excellent;  the 
potash  fair,  but  it  is  weak  in  lime.  The  addition  of  gypsum 
from  time  to  time  would  improve  the  soil  by  not  only  adding 
lime  gradually  but  also  by  setting  free  potash  otherwise  inert. 
On  this  soil  is  located  one  of  the  most  flourishing  prune  orchards 

Of  Linn  county  there  are  only  about  1,300  square  miles  that  are 
suitable  for  agricultural  purposes.  “The  arable  portion  of  the 
county  is  about  evenly  divided  into  prairie  and  rolling  land. 
The  prairie  is  not  a  dead  level,  but  slightly  undulating,  affording 
plenty  of  slope  for  good  drainage  to  the  Willamette  river  which 
bounds  the  county  on  the  west  along  its  whole  length.  The  soil 
of  the  prairie  lands  is  a  rich,  dark,  clayey  loam,  of  the  general 
character  of  the  whole  Willamette  valley.”  For  the  most  part 
the  soils  are  sandstone  and  basaltic.  About  the  Santiam  country 
the  formations  are  porphyritic  and  granitic  which  are  a  contiua- 
tion  of  similar  rocks  to  the  north  and  south — a  part  of  the  same 
that  outcrops  on  the  west  of  the  Cascades.  Only  two  soils  have 
been  analyzed  from  this  county. 

1  W — This  is  a  light  loam,  black  in  color,  from  18  to  24  inches 
deep,  with  a  subsoil  about  2  feet  deep.  The  soil  grows  fir,  maple, 
oak  and  ash.  As  will  be  seen  it  carries  a  high  percentage  of  lime 
and  clearly  shows  a  lime  vegetation.  It  has  a  high  moisture 
coefficient  and  evidently  has  good  natural  drainage.  The  soil 


31 


should  be  easily  worked  and  though  the  potash  is  not  high,  yet 
with  the  heavy  percentage  of  lime  it  is  fairly  supplied  and  with 
thorough  tillage  is  not  apt  to  be  deficient  in  this  quarter.  It  is 
an  excellent  all  around  soil. 

SOILS  FROM  LINN  COUNTY. 


COMPONENTS. 


Character  of  soil 


Coarse  material  >  .5  m.m 

Fine  material-, . . 

Capacity  for  water., . 

Hygroscopic  moisture _ 


ANALYSIS  OF  FINE  EARTH. 


Insoluble  matter  . . 

Soluble  silica . . . 

Potash  [K20] . 

Soda  [Na20] . 

Lime  [CaO]  . . . 

Magnesia  [MgO] . . . 

Manganese  [Mn304] . 

Iron  [Fe203], . . 

Alumina  [A1203] . 

Sulfuric  acid  [S03] . . 

Phosphoric  acid  [P205] _ 

Water  and  organic  matter 

Total . . 

Humus  . . . _ . 

Soluble  phosphoric  acid.,. 


No.  i  W. 

John  Withers, 

Lebanon. 

No.  643. 

J.  C.  St  an  dish. 

Halsey. 

Black 

Beaver- 

loam 

dam 

22  90 

50 

77  10 

99  50 

44  00 

7  55 

57  82 

64  25 

7  23 

6  45 

15 

39 

07 

63 

3  51 

55 

21 

7i 

12 

Trace 

16  89 

15  09 

02 

Trace 

11 

40 

13  07 

11  47 

919  20 

99  92 

1  88 

3  60 

09 

. 

No.  643  is  a  soil  of  limited  area  but  occurs  in  a  number  of 
scattered  spots.  It  is  “from  a  basin  formerly  filled  with  water 
in  the  winter,”  but  becoming  dry  in  the  summer,  “  has  been  un¬ 
derdrained  for  three  years.”  The  soil  is  underlaid  by  a  yellow 
clay  at  a  depth  of  about  10  inches  and  this  in  turn  by  a  blue  clay 
at  about  30  inches.  The  natural  growth  is  ash,  wild  rose,  and 
swamp  grasses.  Chemically  the  soil  is  abundantly  supplied  with 
all  the  essential  constituents,  and  if  well  drained  is  likely  to 
prove  a  very  lasting  soil.  Its  high  humus  content  will  render  it 
retentive  of  moisture.  Fruit  would  do  well  upon  this  soil  if  well 
underdrained,  particularly  pears. 


32 

SOILS  OF  LANE  COUNTY 


COMPONENTS. 


m  r 


z  ■  - 


<L» 


Character  of  soil 


Coarse  materia  >  .5  m.m . . . . . 

Fine  earth _ _ _ _ 

Moisture  absorbed  at  150  C _ _ 

Capacity  for  water . . .  . 

ANALYSIS  OF  FINE  1-AkTH  [AIR  DRY], 


Insoluble  matter . 

Soluble  silica  . . . 

Potash  [K20] _ 

Soda  [Na20]  . . . 

Lime  [Cao]  . . . 

Magnesia  [MgO] _ 

Manganese  jMusO-t] _ 

Iron  Fe203] . . . . 

Alumina  [AI2O3] _ 

Sulfuric  acid  [S‘  ’3]-- _ 

Phosphoric  acid  [P2O5] _ 

Water  and  organic  matter 

Total . . 

Humus . . 


) 

f 


Sandy 

loam 

Adobe 

5  70 

32  97 

94  30 

67  21 

2  OO 

50  OO 

46  OO 

63  02  ' 

52  68 

8  77 

6  85 

09 

19 

07 

09 

60 

65 

27 

46 

02 

23 

15  90 

18  56 

02 

04 

16 

*3 

10  51 

20  12 

99  43 

100 

OO 

I  21 

5 

59 

Lane  county,  an  area  of  about  7,000  square  miles,  with  an 
average  breadth  of  about  50  miles,  being  about  three  times 
this  distance  in  length.  About  three-fourths  of  this  county  is 
hilly  and  mountainous.  The  table  or  hill  lands  bordering  the 
valleys  seem  to  be  quite  fertile,  and  produce  well  when  brought 
under  cultivation.  Xo.  1  V  is  a  soil  of  this  type,  but  whether  all 
will  show  as  low  a  content  of  potash  is  somewhat  doubtful.  The 
county  is  abundantly  supplied  with  streams  and  springs.  Con¬ 
siderable  swale  land  is  found  in  some  parts  of  the  county,  mainly 
white  land,  but  with  good  drainage  this  can  be  made  productive. 

No.  1  V  is  a  sandy  loam  which  covers  several  sections  in 
the  foot-hills  south  of  Eugene.  Farther  up  the  hills  the  soil 
becomes  coarser  and  is  underlaid  with  soft  sandstone,  wdiich 
crumbles  on  short  exposure.  The  vegetation  is  oak  and  wild 
grasses.  The  soil  evidently  has  a  good  natural  drainage  and  is 
easily  worked.  The  mechanical  separation  of  the  soil  by  an 
elutriating  apparatus  gave  the  following  result: 


33 


Coarse  sand 

Sand . 

Fine  sand. .. 
Silt  or  clay 


2.0 

14.0 


The  dry  lumps  crush  easily  between  the  fingers  and  the  soil  does 
not  become  very  sticky  when  wet.  It  is  a  soil  that  has  been 
planted  to  fruit  considerably  of  late.  The  physical  condition  of 
the  soil  would  seem  to  warrant  this,  but  the  low  percentage  of 
potash  would  indicate  that  for  the  best  results  this  ingredient 
will  be  needed  in  a  few  years.  Experiments  with  potash  on  this 
soil  have  resulted  in  an  appreciable  increase  in  the  yield  of  corn. 

No.  454  is  an  adobe  soil  similar  in  its  texture  to  sample  No.  1  I 
from  Benton  county,  hut  differs  somewhat  in  its  composition. 
The  notes  upon  that  sample  are  equally  applicable  here.  This 
particular  sample  is  moderately  supplied  with  potash  and  phos¬ 
phoric  acid,  but  very  rich  in  humus,  as  might  be  expected,  and 
is  well  supplied  with  lime. 

There  are  two  classes  of  soil  that  commonly  pass  under  the 
term  “adobe”  in  each  of  these  sections — one  a  soil  sour  on  account 
of  an  excessive  amount  of  organic  matter,  and  consequently  after 
neutralizing  the  acidity  by  applications  of  lime  this  soil  is  as 
easily  handled  as  most  others.  The  soil  is  well  supplied  with 
plant  food  and  is  likely  to  be  durable.  The  other  passing  under 
this  name  is  an  intensely  tenacious  black  soil,  rich  in  organic 
matter  and  usually  in  other  plant  food,  being  weakest  in  potash. 

It  is  impossible  to  treat  this  satisfactorily  except  by  tile  drainage. 
When  so  drained  it  forms  a  most  excellent  soil  for  fruit  and  other 
crops.  In  its  present  condition  it  is  not  at  all  suited  to  fruit, 
although  pears,  and  possibly  some  varieties  of  apples,  might  be 
placed  upon  it,  after  it  has  once  been  well  cultivated,  if  kept  in 
excellent  tilth  for  an  inch  or  so.  The  first  cultivation,  however, 
is  difficult  to  secure  for  it  must  be  made  at  exactly  the  right  time. 
Mulching  would  be  beneficial  to  prevent  rapid  surface  evapora¬ 
tion  which  causes  compacting  and  cracking.  Straw  could  be 
utilized  to  good  purpose  in  mulching  this  land.  No  permanent 
remedy  can  be  expected  except  by  underdraining  * 


SOUTHERN  OREGON  SOILS. 


There  are  two  prominent  valleys  included1  in  this  area  within 


which  prunes  are  grown  to  a  greater  or  less  extent,  the  Rogue 

*  Bulletin  No.  45,  Oregon  Experiment  Station,  G.  W,  Shaw. 


34 


and  the  Umpqua  river  valleys.  On  account  of  the  limited  amount 
of  work  done  upon  the  soils  of  this  area  it  is  not  possible  to  pre¬ 
sent  data  with  so  much  certainty  as  in  the  case  of  Willamette 
valley  soils. 

The  characteristic  soil  of  the  southern  area  seems  to  be  a  red¬ 
dish  clay,  which  terminates  in  the  high  plateaus.  The  character¬ 
istic  dark  loams,  resulting  from  the  decomposition  of  carbonaceous 
slates,  occur  in  abundance  throughout  the  valleys.  Granite  soils 
are  also  a  common  feature  of  the  Rogue  river  valley. 

SOILS  FROM  DOUGLAS  COUNTY. 


COMPONENTS. 


> 


Character  of  soil 


Red  Sandy 
land  loam 


Coarse  materia  >  .5  m.m. . . . . . . . 

Fine  earth _ _ _ _ _ 

Moisture  absorbed  at  15°  C . . . . 

Capacity  for  water . . . . . 

ANALYSIS  OF  FINE  KAKTH  [AIR  DRY], 


Insoluble  matter . 

Soluble  silica . 

Potash  [K20] _ _ 

Soda  [Na20] . . 

I.ime  [Cao]  . . . . 

Magnesia  [MgO] _ 

Manganese  ]Mn304]_ . 

Iron  Fe203]  . . 

Alumina  [Al203]_ _ _ 

Sulfuric  acid  [Si. >3]._ . 

Phosphoric  acid  [P205] _ 

Water  and  organic  matter 

Total . . 

Humus . . . 


60  00 
40  00 


45  40 
54  60 
1  24 
42  00 


..  78  32  ;  39  5S 

--1  8  14  10  43 

}  1  27  {  26 

13  2  05 

.  42 

08  08 

> 

|  9  02  29  45 

02  01 

28  16 

2  74  17  2  j 


100  00  100  09 


Douglas  is  the  most  northerly  of  the  group  of  counties  compris¬ 
ing  the  district  of  Southern  Oregon.  It ‘has  an  area  of  4,900 
square  miles,  of  which  about  300,000  acres  are  under  cultivation. 
There  are  two  principal  valleys  in  this  part  of  the  State,  that  of 
t lie  Umpqua  and  that  of  the  Rogue  river.  The  climate  in  these 
areas  is  mild  and  the  average  precipitation  is  about  35  inches. 
In  the  valleys  the  soil  is  alluvial,  deep  and  highly  productive. 
The  benches  and  hills  have  also  a  soil  rich  and  deep  and  well 
adapted  to  fruit  culture.  The  Umpqua  valley  is  one  of  the  finest 
fruit  sections  of  the  State. 


No.  618  is  from  N.  E.  |  of  Sec.  12,  T.  26  S.  R.  5  W.,  near  the 
town  of  Wilbur.  The  sample  is  of  the  characteristic  red  soil  of 
the  region  and  was  taken  to  a  depth  of  2  feet.  Water  is  found  at 
about  30  feet  and  is  soft.  The  natural  herbage  is  oak,  fir,  and 
“  poison  oak.”  The  soil  has  been  quite  extensively  set  to  fruit. 
The  soil  would  seem  quite  well  adapted  to  this  industry,  although 
its  lime  supply  is  weak.  Humus  and  phosphoric  acid  are  both  good. 

No.  IX.—  This  sample  is  of  dark  bottom  land  of  excellent  tex¬ 
ture.  The  sample  is  an  excellent  one  when  measured  by  the 
standards  given  before.  The  lime  supply  is  very  abundant  as  is 
also  the  potash  and  the  phosphoric  acid,  and  the  humus  is  good. 
The  high  content  of  iron  plus  alumina  might  indicate  that  the 
phosphoric  acid  is  not  as  available  as  in  some  others  carrying  a 
smaller  per  cent,  of  those  elements.  The  soil  is  an  excellent  one 
for  either  fruit  or  general  farming. 


SOILS  FROM  JOSEPHINE  COUNTY. 


COMPONENTS. 

No.  615. 

A.  H.  Carson, 
Grant’s  Pass. 

If?  d 

I5 

No.  616. 

Harry  Smith, 
Grant’s  Pass. 

No.  617. 

A.  H.  Carson, 
Grant’s  Pass. 

No.  622. 

Ditto. 

Character  of  soil . 

Foot¬ 

hill 

Subsoil 

Bottom 

loam 

Granite 

Granite 

Coarse  material  >  .5  m.m . 

Fine  earth . 

Moisture  absorbed  at  T50  C 

62  38 
37  62 

81 00 
19  00 

35  00 
65  00 

47  50 
52  50 

Capacity  for  ■vvat^f* 

• 

ANALYSIS  OF  FINE  EARTH.  [AIR  DRY] 

Insoluble  matter . 

Soluble  silica . ' . 

Potash  (K20) . 

Soda  (Na20) . 

Lime  (CaO) . 

Magnesia  (MgO) . 

Manganese  (Mn304) . 

68  20 

7  17 
19 

07 

2  49 
46 

68  56 

7  12 
27 
12 

3  49 
43 

60  93 
i2  43 

}  1  85 
)  0 

3  11 

3  36 

1  16 

11  97 

T  r  ace 
06 

5  1.3 

81  56 

6  66 
3i 
38 
28 
35 

90  20 
4  06 

30 

87 

72 

33 

Iron  (F203) . ) 

Alumina  (Al203) . j 

Sulfuric  acid  (S03) . 

IT  47 

11  54 

23 

9  01 

— 

5  17 

05 

05 

3  94 

2  45 

Phosphoric  acid  (P2Os) . 

Water  and  organic  matter . 

Total . 

Humus . 

21 

8  56 

2  07 

98  82 

2  44 

100  77 

100  00 

70 

98  75 
97 

101  87 
58 

Josephine  county  does  not  possess  as  extensive  an  area  of  agri¬ 
cultural  lands  as  most  of  the  other  counties,  but  such  lands  as  do 
exist  are  of  extreme  fertility,  and  some  of  the  most  thrifty  orchards 


36 


of  the  State  are  located  on  her  soils.  The  soils  whose  analyses 
are  presented  below  are  representative  of  her  rich  fields. 

No.  615  is  a  typical  red  foot-hill  soil  sampled  to  a  depth  of  2 
feet.  This  soil  represents  nearly  one-half  of  the  county.  Its 
natural  herbage  is  pine,  fir,  black  oak,  white  oak,  chaparral,  man- 
zanita,  laurel,  spruce  and  lilac.  On  wetting  the  soil  darkens 
slightly,  and  becomes  quite  sticky  on  kneading.  Orchards  have 
been  planted  quite  extensively  on  this  soil  and  all  do  well  when 
properly  cultivated.  The  lime  supply  is  very  abundant,  phos¬ 
phorous  is  plentiful;  potash  is  limited — the  minimum  would  be 
allowable  on  account  of  the  most  excellent  lime  supply.  The 
humus  supply  is  also  excellent. 

No.  616  is  a  sample  of  the  Rogue  river  bottom  loams.  It  ex¬ 
tends  about  one  mile  on  each  side  of  the  river.  It  is  a  soil  of  ex¬ 
cellent  texture  and  is  easily  cultivated.  Its  natural  growth  is 
pine,  oak,  madrona  and  manzanita.  As  with  most  Southern 
Oregon  soils  the  lime  content  is  excellent;  potash  is  plentiful; 
humus  limited;  and  phosphoric  acid  weak.  Phosphatic  fertil¬ 
izers  would  improve  this  soil  even  now. 

No.  617 — This  sample  is  a  typical  granite  soil  from  the  vicin¬ 
ity  of  Grant’s  Pass.  Soils  of  this  type  are  said  to  compose  about 
one-twelfth  of  the  available  lands  of  this  locality.  The  soil  con¬ 
sists  almost  wholly  of  decomposed  granite.  The  native  trees  are 
pine,  oak,  madrona  and  fir,  and  the  shrubs  lilac,  manzanita,  and 
chaparral.  These  soils  are  somewhat  subject  to  washing. 
Peaches  are  grown  on  these  soils  quite  extensively.  The  soil  is 
characterized  by  the  following  chemical  conditions:  lime  supply, 
fair;  potash  supply,  good;  phosphoric  acid,  deficient;  humus  lim¬ 
ited.  Great  care  will  have  to  be  exercised  to  prevent  these  soils 
from  early  impoverishment.  Such  granitic  soils  are  proverbially 
short-lived. 

Jackson  county  comprises  an  area  about  50  miles  square.  It 
includes  nearly  all  of  the  Rogue  river  valley  which  is  about  25 
miles  long  by  5  to  25  miles  wide.  This  valley  is  second  in  size 
to  the  Willamette  valley.  Her  soils  are  subject  to  great  local 
variations.  The  hill  lands  consist  largely  of  volcanic  matter, 
and  decomposed  granite,  while  the  valleys  consist  of  successive 
alluvial  deposits  of  different  geological  periods. 

No.  612  is  a  fair  sample  of  the  rolling  lands.  Its  characteris¬ 
tic  growth  in  oak  and  willow.  The  sample  represents  an  area 


37 

of  about  6  x  20  miles.  Fruit  of  all  kinds  has  been  found  to  do 
well  on  this  soil  and  this  would  he  expected  from  its  chemical 
nature  for  its  lime  content  is  most  excellent,  its  potash  supply 
good — inasmuchas  it  possesses  abundance  of  lime — its  phos¬ 
phoric  acid  supply  is  good  and  its  humus  excellent.  It  is  likely 
to  be  a  very  lasting  soil.  Its  first  need  will  probably  be  phos¬ 
phoric  acid. 

SOILS  FROM  JACKSON  COUNTY. 


COMPONENTS. 

No.  612. 

W.  P.  Ol well. 
Central  Point. 

No.  613. 

Ditto" 

Character  of  soil _ _ _ _ _ . . _ _ 

Black 

loam 

Subsoil 

Coarse  material  >  .5  m.m _ _ _  _ 

Fine  material _ _  _ 1 _ _ _ 

Moisture  absorbed  at  150  C  .  _ _ _ _ _  _ _ _ 

Capacity  for  water _  _ _  _ _ 

93  00 

7  00 

90  00 
10  00 

ANALYSIS  OF  FINE  EARTH  [AIR  DRY]. 

Insoluble  matter _ _ _ _ _ _ _  _ 

Soluble  silica _ _ _ 

Potash  [K20] _ _ _  _  ..  _ ... 

64  84 

5  57 
33 
26 

2  32 

83 

Trace 

15  77 

66  03 
8  33 
21 

13 

5  15 
72 

Trace 

12  72 

Soda  [Na2b] _ _ _ _ _ _  _ _ _ 

Lime  [CaO] _ _ _ _ _ 

Magnesia  [ MgO] _ _  _ 

Manganese  [Mn304]  .  . . . . . . 

Iron  [Fe203] - - - - - ) 

Alumina  [A1203] _ _ _ J 

Sulfuric  acid  [sb3] . . . . . . . . . 

Phosphoric  acid  [P205] _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 

Water  and  organic  matter . . . . . . . . . 

Total . . . . . . . . . . 

14 

9  52 

14 

7  05 

100  58 

3  55 

100  54 
1 1 

Humus _ _ _ _ _ 

Soluble  phosphoric  acid _ _ _ _ _  _ _ 

THE  COAST  COUNTIES. 

Under  this  division  is  included  those  counties  which  have  a 
relatively  large  coast  line.  The  counties  included  are  Clatsop, 
Tillamook,  Lincoln,  Coos  and  Curry.  In  these  counties  the  soils 
present  somewhat  different  features  and  the  climatic  conditions 
are  markedly  different.  This  is  particularly  true  of  the  precipi¬ 
tation,  for  whereas  that  of  the  Willamette  valley  is  about  45 
inches,  in  these  counties  it  ranges  from  58  to  75  inches. 


SOILS  FROM  LINCOLN  COUNTY. 


38 


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No.  1  A — This  is  a  sample  of  original  bottom  land  now  covered 
by  1  B.  The  soil  was  sampled  to  a  depth  of  20  inches.  Analy¬ 
sis  shows  it  to  be  poor  in  lime,  deficient  in  potash  and  to  have  a 
limited  supply  of  phosphoric  acid.  Its  humus  supply  is  good. 
The  soil  is  not  a  lasting  one  by  any  means,  although  its  fine  tex¬ 
ture  would  have  a  tendency  to  offset  its  deficiencies  for  a  time. 
It  would  be  much  improved  by  applications  of  gypsum. 

1  B — This  alluvium  is  about  four  feet  deep  and  of  a  brownish 
color.  As  is  shown  by  the  mechanical  analysis,  the  soil  is  of  fine 
texture,  the  coarse  material  consists  almost  entirely  of  organic 
matter,  sticks,  etc.  The  soil  shows  a  considerable  portion  of  de¬ 
composed  felspar.  The  lumps  crush  easily  between  the  fingers. 
The  natural  growth  of  trees  is  cedar,  red  and  yellow  fir,  alder,  and 
maple;  for  shrubs  and  grasses,  the  vine  maple,  salmon  berry,  and 
native  clovers.  On  account  of  depth  and  physical  condition  it 
seems  to  be  an  excellent  soil  for  root  crops,  but  the  supply  of  pot¬ 
ash  is  limited.  It  carries  a  high  per  cent,  of  lime,  is  strong  in 
phosphoric  acid,  and  is  well  supplied  with  humus. 

1  M  and  1  N — Except  so  far  as  the  difference  in  chemical  com¬ 
position  is  concerned  these  soils  are  decribed  as  in  1  B.  They 
carry  less  lime  and  phosphoric  acid,  which  should  be  present  in 
at  least  10  per  cent,  to  give  the  most  satisfactory  results.  1  N  is 
also  weak  in  potash.  The  color  line  in  these  soils  is  about  lfi 
inches  below  the  surface.  The  vegetation  native  to  these  soils  is 
wild  rye,  wild  pea,  fir,  maple,  alder,  spruce,  salal  and  huckleberry. 

1  O  and  1  P — These  run  very  closely  together,  1  P  however,  be¬ 
ing  a  little  the  heavier  soil,  and  having,  as  would  be  expected, 
the  greater  moisture  co-efficient.  The  supply  of  potash  in  each 
is  fair  and  of  phosphoric  is  good.  1  0  is  taken  from  the  hillside 
verging  on  the  bottom  lands  previously  described,  and  shows  no 
color  line.  1  P  is  a  sample  of  hill  land  above  and  represents 
thousands  of  acres,  color  line  being  at  10  inches. 

1  Q  and  1  S — The  first  is  classed  as  a  “bottom  land”  by  the 
sender,  but  it  is  perhaps  a  first  bench  land  as  he  says  it  lies  higher 
than  those  previously  given.  Both  are  light  soils  quite  well  sup¬ 
plied  with  the  critical  elements,  except  humus,  which  deficiency 
could  be  remedied  by  the  proper  use  of  green  manures.  They 
are  soils  particularly  adapted  to  truck  gardening. 

No.  448  is  not  a  sample  of  an  agricultural  soil  but  was  sent 
on  account  of  its  peculiar  acidity  which  proved  to  be  due  to  sul- 


40 


fate  of  alumina  which  was  present  in  considerable  quantity. 

Coos  county  has  a  line  of  about  50  miles,  and  an  area  of  about 
800,000  acres,  about  one-half  of  which  is  heavily  timbered  with 
fir,  cedar,  spruce  and  hemlock.  At  present  there  are  about  18,- 
758  acres  under  cultivation,  mostly  along  the  streams  tributary 
to  Coos  bay.  There  is  also  much  tide  land,  or  “slough  bottom,” 
which  may  be  reclaimed  by  diking  and  draining.  The  soils  are 
largely  alluvial  and  well  adapted  to  fruit  culture. 

SOILS  FROM  COOS  COUNTY. 


COMPONENTS. 


Character  of  soil 


Coarse  material  >  .5  m  m 
Fine  earth . 


ANALYSIS  OF  FINE  EARTH  [AIR  DRV], 

Insoluble  matter . . 

Soluble  silica . 

Potash  (K20) . 

Soda  (Na20) . 

Lime  (CaO> . 

Magnesia  (MgO) . . 

Manganese  (Mn304) . . 

Iron  (Fe203) . 

Alumina  VALO3) . . 

Sulfuric  acid  (S03) . 

Phosphoric  acid  (P205) . ; . 

Water  and  organic  matter . 

Total . 

Humus . 


No.  765. 

Anton  Wirt 

Marshfield 

No.  766. 

Ditto. 

Red 

upland 

Slough 

bottom 

33  70 

23  75 

66  80 

76  25 

61  64 

65  9i 

4  7i 

4  28 

20 

29 

3i 

27 

52 

4i 

16 

60 

15 

06 

22  24 

17  24 

03 

02 

1 1 

38 

10  48 

10  85 

100  55 

100  29 

5  80 

3  77 

No.  765  is  a  sample  of  the  red  upland  which  characterizes, 
perhaps,  nine-tenths  of  the  county.  The  underlying  rock  is  a 
sandstone,  which  contributes  largely  to  the  formation  of  the  soil. 
Analysis  shows  the  soil  not  to  be  strong  in  available  plant  food. 
The  high  iron-plus-alumina  would  indicate  that  the  phosphates 
are  relatively  insoluble,  and  practice  shows  that  the  soil  is 
rather  short-lived.  The  report  accompanying  the  sample  says: 
“It  does  not  produce  good  crops  except  where  heavily  manured.” 
The  native  growth  is  alder,  intermingled  with  Douglas  spruce, 
cedar,  myrtle,  and  vine  maple.  Oxalis  and  reeds  are  also 
abundant.  The  report  states  that,  “Red  clover  grows  luxuriantly. 


41 


I  have  seen  a  good  stand  for  8  years  without  reseeding.  White 
clover  and  blue  grass  grow  vigorously.” 

No.  766  is  asampleof  the.slough  bottoms  previously  mentioned. 
When  drained  these  soils  produce  excellent  crops  of  grass  and 
vegetables.  Mr.  Anton  Wirth  writes  “  I  have  experimented  on 
these  soils  with  lime  and  muriate  of  potash,  on  a  small  scale, 
with  astonishing  results.  It  is  certainly  a  valuable  soil  for  cran¬ 
berry  culture. 

SOILS  OF  EASTERN  OREGON. 

The  appearance  of  the  soils  in  Eastern  Oregon  is  altogether 
different  from  that  of  the  western  part  of  the  State.  By  far  the 
larger  part  is  of  a  gray,  ashy  appearance,  darkening  much  on  be¬ 
ing  wet.  One  coming  from  the  darker  soils  of  the  Eastern  States 
would  be  unfavorably  impressed,  but  experience  teaches  that 
these  soils  are  abundantly  supplied  with  plant  food,  and  analysis 
shows  that  they  are  probably  the  most  fertile  soils  of  the  State. 
The  wonderful  fertility  of  these  soils  is  shown  in  their  enormous 
yield  of  crops  from  year  to  year.  The  soil  is  exceedingly  deep  in 
most  localities,  and  of  such  a  texture  as  to  be  easily  worked. 
Speaking  concerning  the  “dust  soils”  which  cover  so  large  a 
proportion  of  this  eastern  area  of  the  northwest,  it  is  stated  in 
Bulletin  No.  3  United  States  Weather  Bureau,  “  that  the  percent¬ 
ages  of  mineral  plant  food  in  these  soils  are  quite  laige ,  and  that  ac- 
cording  to  all  experience  they  should  be  found  profusely  and  perma¬ 
nently  productive .  This  forecast  is  abundantly  confirmed  by  local 
experience.  ’  ’ 

Speaking  of  the  soils  of  this  same  nature  (silt  or  “dust”  soils) 
a  writer  truly  says:  “ The  soil  is  indeed  a  wonder  to  all  strangers, 
and  it  is  difficult  for  them  to  believe  at  first  that  the  land  of  such 
appearace  as  this  is  capable  of  raising  anything,  much  less  such 
wonderful  crops  as  are  really  grown.  In  a  part  of  the  country, 
it  is  true,  the  soil  when  moist  presents  a  dark,  rich  appearanc  e, 
and  this  is  really  the  best;  but  farther  from  the  mountains, 
where  it  looks  lighter  and  is  loose  and  finer,  it  is  scarcely  less 
productive.  In  summer,  when  no  rain  has  fallen  for  several 
weeks  perhaps,  it  is  so  dry  on  the  surface,  so  light  and  parched 
in  appearance,  that  a  stranger  unacquainted  with  its  qualities, 
would  pronounce  it  utterly  useless.  But  he  need  only  wait  till 
harvest  for  abundant  proof  of  the  maxim  that  ‘appearances  are 
deceptive.’  One  marked  feature  of  this  soil  is  its  capacity  to  re- 


42 


tain  moisture,  so  that  when  after  some  weeks  without  rain  the 
surface  seems  parched  with  drouth,  the  soil  a  few  inches  below 
will  be  damp,  and  grain  will  be  found  growing  green  and  rank, 
and  later,  ripening  into  a  bountiful  harvest,  when,  under  similar 
climatic  conditions  in  many  localities,  any  plants  would  have 
starved  for  lack  of  water.” * 

The  physical  nature  of  these  soils  is  well  shown  by  the  follow¬ 
ing  analysis: 


MECHANICAL  ANALYSIS  OF  FINE  EARTH. 


SOIL  FROM  MORROW  COUNTY,  f 


Clay . . . .  . . - .  -  - - 

Sediment  of  .25  millimeters  by  hydraulic  value 

Sediment  of  <  25  to  .5  millimeters  . .  . . . 

Sediment  of  <  .50  to  2  0  millimeters . . ... 

Sediment  of  <  2.0  to  8.0  millimeters  . . . . 

Sediment  of  8.0  to  64.0  millimeters . . 


1  1 
39  26 
>2  75 
37  5r 
10  92 

3  97 


Total 


98  75 


While  the  soils  of  this  eastern  division  of  the  State  are  mostly 
of  the  silt  or  dust  character,  yet  there  are  certain  areas  of  con¬ 
siderable  extent  which  are  materially  different  in  nature.  A 
notable  exception  is  found  in  the  Hood  River  locality,  a  portion 
of  the  State  noted  for  its  horticultural  effects.  While  the  soils  of 
this  region  are  entirely  different  from  most  of  the  others  of  East¬ 
ern  Oregon — resembling  more  nearly  those  of  Union  county — the 
peculiar  adaptability  of  the  section  to  the  growing  of  fruits,  par¬ 
ticularly  apples,  strawberries,  and  peaches  is  doubtless  not  as 
much  due  to  its  soil  as  its  climatic  conditions.  .  Speaking  con¬ 
cerning  this  latter  point  Mr.  B.  S.  Pague  of  the  Weather  Bureau 
says:  “On  a  strip  of  land  extending  along  the  Columbia  from 
the  Cascade  Locks  to  about  fifteen  miles  east  of  The  Dalles,  and 
southward  from  three  to  ten  miles,  can  be  found  the  highest  or 
warmest  night  temperature  from  June  1st  to  September  1st  of  anv 
place  in  Oregon.  1  venture  to  make  the  assertion  that  inside  of 
the  next  ten  years  this  section  will  produce  the  best  peaches 
raised  on  the  Pacific  Coast;  and,  further,  considering  the  area  of 
this  warm  belt,  more  peach  trees  will  be  planted  there  than  in 
any  area  of  ground  of  equal  size  in  the  State.” 


*  Resources  of  Oregon,  1892. 


+  Bulletin  3  U.  S.  Weather  Bureau.  Hilgard. 


43 


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44 


Nos.  763  and  764.- -These  samples  are  all  of  red  soils  of 
laval  origin  the  color  being  due  to  oxid  and  phosphate  of  iron 
which  are  present  in  considerable  quantities.  Of  these  two  soils 
764  seems  to  be  the  stronger  sample  in  mineral  food  and  to  equal 
its  companion  in  organic  matter.  Both,  however,  are  soils  of 
first  quality,  very  rich  and  of  excellent  physical  texture.  Phos- 
phatic  fertilizers  will  certainly  not  be  needed  on  soils  of  this  char¬ 
acter  for  many  years.  In  764  lime  is  the  weakest  point  but  it 
could  not  be  called  deficient  in  a  soil  of  the  depth  of  this.  It  is 
not  likely  to  be  much  benefited  by  fertilizers  at  present  unless 
perhaps  by  an  application  of  lime.  No.  763  has  a  low  potash  con¬ 
tent  and  might  be  benefited  by  applications  of  a  mixture  of  lime 
and  muriate  of  potash.  It  is  not  probable  that  this  deficiency  of 
potash  is  a  characteristic  feature  of  these  soils.  Much  fruit  has 
been  planted  on  soil  of  this  character  and  with  most  excellent 
results. 

No.  762  is  a  sample  of  a  soil  of  lighter  color.  There  would 
appear  to  be  no  inherent  reason  for  the  report  which  accompanies 
the  sample  which  says  that  general  farming  is  “moderately  poor.” 
The  soil  analyzed  has  an  abundance  of  potash  and  phosphoric 
acid,  a  fair  supply  of  lime  and  a  good  humus  content.  As  with 
the  other  soils  of  this  region  its  lime  supply  is  its  weakest  point, 
and  good  results  are  likely  to  follow  applications  of  that  material. 
It  is  regarded  as  a  lasting  soil. 

No.  644  is  very  quite  similar  to  No.  762  in  its  physical  appear¬ 
ance.  It  was  taken  from  near  Hosier,  12  miles  from  The  Dalles. 
Its  natural  production  is  oak,  hazel  and  pine.  Analysis  shows 
the  soil  to  be  weak  in  potash,  but  rich  in  the  other  ingredients. 
Its  humus  content  is  exceptionally  high.  Its  high  lime  per  cent, 
will  in  a  measure  compensate  for  the  deficiency  in  potash,  but 
ultimately  the  use  of  that  element  will  have  to  be  resorted  to. 

Umatilla  county  is  one  of  the  largest  of  the  State,  but  her  soils 
are  wonderfully  uniform.  The  county  contains  about  2,073,600 
acres.  The  eastern  and  southern  portions  of  the  county  are  ren¬ 
dered  somewhat  montainous  by  being  traversed  by  the  Blue 
mountains,  but  taken  as  a  whole  it  is  of  a  level  and  rolling  sur¬ 
face.  Along  the  northern  edge  of  the  county  there  is  a  strip  of 
sandy  land  that  demands  irrigation  before  it  would  be  adapted 
to  agriculture,  although  even  now  it  furnishes  a  good  range  for 


45 


stock  as  it  produces  “early  fine  grass  very  nutritious.”  When 
irrigated  it  will  produce  enormous  crops  of  cereals. 

No.  448  is  a  fair  type  of  these  silt  soils  which  represent  such 
an  area  not  only  in  this  county  but  also  in  other  sections  of  east¬ 
ern  Oregon.  It  will  be  noted  that  the  mineral  food  in  these  soils 
is  very  high  and  is  not  likely  in  any  of  these  soils,  barring  pos¬ 
sibly  a  few  local  exceptions,  to  need  supplementing  with  com¬ 
mercial  plant  food  for  many  years.  Care  should  be  taken  how¬ 
ever,  in  the  matter  of  conserving  the  humus  for  this  is  likely  to 
become  one  of  the  weakest  points  in  these  soils.  Attention  should 
be  given  to  green  manuring,  and  to  the  use  of  well  rotted  barnyard 
manure.  The  soils  should  be  kept  covered  with  some  green  crop 
so  far  as  possible  in  the  summer,  instead  of  the  too  common  prac¬ 
tice  of  a  perfectly  bare  fallow  which  has  been  conclusively  shown 
to  be  much  more  exhaustive  to  the  soil  than  the  growth  of  fallow 
crops. 

Union  county  ranks  among  the  first  in  the  State  in  agricul¬ 
tural  possibilities.  The  largest  body  of  agricultural  land  is  in 
the  Grand  Ronde  valley  which  is  one  of  the  most  productive  spots 
in  the  United  States.  The  valley  contains  about  300,000  acres 
of  rich  level  alluvial  soil  carrying  a  considerable  amount  of  sand. 
Indeed  nearly  the  entire  valley  may  be  called  a  deep  sandy  loam 
of  a  slightly  red  color.  Notwithstanding  both  climate  and  soil 
render  this  county  particularly  adapted  to  diversified  crops  yet 
to  the  present  time  the  crops  have  been  almost  exclusively  wheat. 

No.  1  Z  is  not  a  fair  type  of  the  soils  of  this  rich  locality  as  it 
is  from  the  mountain  land.  In  this  sample  the  lime,  potash,  and 
humus  supply  is  good,  but  phosphoric  acid  poor.  However  the 
fineness  of  the  soil  associated  with  an  excellent  lime  supply  will 
much  alleviate  this  difficulty. 

Baker  county  cannot  at  present  be  called  an  agricultural  one, 
although  the  Powder  river  valley  contains  considerable  very  val¬ 
uable  agricultural  lands.  This  valley  is  about  16  miles  wide  by 
20  miles  long  and  is  surrounded  by  high  mountains.  In  most 
localities  irrigation  has  to  be  practiced  to  insure  good  crops,  but 
for  this  there  is  an  ample  water  supply.  More  interest  is  being 
shown  in  this  locality  in  agricultural  matters  and  this  country 
has  a  bright  future  dawning. 

Nos.  406  and  407  are  characteristic  silt  soils  and  it  is  strange 
to  find  soils  so  similar  in  appearance  differing  so  much  in  com- 


46 


position.  The  former  is  well  supplied  with  potash  and  the  latter 
deficient;  both  are  well  supplied  with  lime;  the  former  fair  in 
phosphoric  acid,  and  the  latter  deficient;  each  is  well  supplied 
with  humus. 

No.  1  Y — This  sample  of  soil  from  Crook  county  is  one  of  most 
excellent  texture.  The  soil  is  the  light  gray  silt  which  darkens 
slightly  on  moistening.  It  is  abundantly  supplied  with  potash 
but  phosphoric  acid  and  humus  are  both  low. 

GENERAL  DISCUSSION  OF  RESULTS. 

As  a  basis  for  discussion,  below  will  be  found  a  table  showing 
the  average  composition  of  the  Willamette  valley  soils,  made  up 
from  42  analyses,  and  in  parallel  columns  will  be  found  the 
average  composition  of  California  soils,  and  of  the  humid  region 
farther  east.  When  studied  in  the  light  of  the  preceding  prin¬ 
ciples  of  interpretation  much  information  may  be  gleaned. 

TABLE  SHOWING  AVERAGE  COMPOSITION  OF  OREGON  SOILS. 


ANALYSIS  OF  FINE  EARTH. 

Willamette 

Valley. 

Southern 

Oregon. 

~  & 

*  Average  foi 
States. 
[Humid.] 

*  Average  foi 
California. 

1  Arid,] 

Insoluble  matter . 

65  18 

62  45 

66  59 

84  03 

67  88 

Soluble  silica . 

5  02 

8  74 

1 3  12 

4  21 

8  96 

Potash  (K20) . 

23 

34 

43 

22 

94 

Soda  (Na20) . 

18 

2! 

22 

09 

28 

Lime  (CaO) . 

83 

3  22 

1  22 

II 

1  08 

Magnesia  (MgO) . 

76 

80 

75 

23 

1  49 

Manganese  (Mn304i . 

08 

25 

10 

13 

06 

Iron  (F203) . ) 

Alumina  (A1203) . j 

16  45 

15  35 

10  68 

7  43 

15  02 

Sulfuric  acid  (-'03) . 

03 

01 

04 

05 

05 

Phosphoric  acid  (  P205) . 

21 

13 

14 

1 1 

08 

Water  and  organic  matter . 

10  77 

9  52 

6  21 

3  64 

4  40 

Total . 

99  77 

100  02 

99  5i 

100  19 

100  05 

Humus . 

1  63 

2  25 

1  44 

ti  50 

75 

Turning  attention  at  first  to  the  lime  content,  we  find  it  to  be 
.83  per  cent.  Basing  our  judgment  on  the  principles  previously 
laid  down,  these  vallev  soils  could  not  be  considered  deficient  in 
this  ingredient.  It  is  popularly  supposed  that  the  valley  soils 
are  deficient  in  this  ingredient.  On  account  of  this  widespread 
idea,  and  its  great  importance  to  agriculture,  the  matter  demands 
a  careful  consideration.  I  am  at  a  loss  to  understand  the  general 


*“  Relation  of  Soil  to  Climate.  Hilgard. 


•  f  Prom  limited  data. 


47 


acceptance  of  this  idea,  unless  it  be,  first,  that  no  considerable  de¬ 
posits  of  lime  occur  within  this  area,  second,  that  the  older  text¬ 
books  have  placed  the  limits  for  a  calcareous  soil  (4  to  20  per 
cent.)  altogether  too  high  as  shown  in  more  recent  experiments, 
third,  that  poor  results  are  often  obtained  with  clover  which  is 
known  to  be  a  lime-using  plant.  However  it  may  have  sprung 
up  it  is  a  fallacy ,  at  least  so  far  as  the  bottom  lands  are  concern¬ 
ed.  Waiving  the  first  possible  cause  of  this  notion  as  indicating 
nothing  on  the  negative  side  of  the  lime  question,  as  there  are 
other  compounds  which  may  give  rise  to  lime  in  soils,  we  come 
to  the  text-book  statement  concerning  a  calcareous  soil.  It  is 
admitted  that  the  soils  are  not  markedly  calcareous,  yet  “very 
much  smaller  percentages  suffice  to  do  all  that  lime  can  do:  in 
very  sandy  soils  less  than  two-tenths  of  one  per  cent,  impart  the 
calcareous  character  to  vegetation;  in  very  heavy  clay  soil,  from 
one-half  to  three-fourths  of  one  per  cent,  is  necessary  for  the  same 
purpose.  But  any  further  addition  of  lime  to  such  soils  changes 
the  character  of  the  vegetation  no  further,  unless  pushed  to  the 
extent  of  modifying  materially  its  physical  condition.”*  It  is 
admitted  as  true  that  poor  results  with  clover  are  often  obtained, 
but  that  this  is  due  rather  to  the  present  physical  condition  of 
the  soil  than  to  any  inherent  deficiency  has  been  amply  proven 
by  results  obtained  at  this  Station,  and  also  by  those  farmers  who 
have  solved  the  problem  of  a  proper  physical  condition  for  the  crop. 
At  the  present  time  lack  of  drainage  lies  at  the  root  of  the . difficulty 
with  this  and  many  other  crops  in  the  Willamette  valley .  The  soils 
of  the  Willamette  valley  seem  to  be  moderately  supplied  with 
lime,  but  carry  a  much  less  amount  than  either  the  soils  of  South¬ 
ern  or  Eastern  Oregon,  the  former  on  account  of  geological  rea¬ 
sons,  and  the  latter  on  account  of  climatic  conditions.  That 
these  soils  should  be  fairly  well  supplied  with  lime  would  be  ex¬ 
pected  from  a  priori  reasons  on  account  of  the  basaltic  origin  a 
large  part  of  them.  The  lime  in  the  valley  soils  is  not  altogether 
in  the  form  of  a  carbonate,  indeed  it  is  rare  that  sufficient  car¬ 
bonate  is  present  to  cause  evident  effervescence  with  acid,  but 
even  a  casual  examination  shows  a  very  common  oocurence  of 
easily  decomposable  zeolites,  principally  ?nesolite,  from  which,  by 
weathering,  the  lime  may  be  constantly  supplied.  The  general 
appearance  of  these  zeolites  is  shown  in  the  frontispiece .  They 

*“  Soil  Studies  and  Soil  Maps,”  Hilgard  in  Overland  Monthly. 


48 


occur  in  nodulary  forms,  silky  fibrous  and  often  interlaced;  color, 
white  to  yellowish.  The  general  composition  of  this  mineral  is: 


Silica _ 

Alumina 

Lime . 

Soda . . 

Water.... 


45-6 

26.0 

9-5 

5-2 

13-7 


Total 


100.0 


The  decomposition  of  the  amygdaloidal  basalts  would  naturally 
produce  soils  rich  in  lime  and  poor  in  potash.  Referring  now  to  the 
minimum  per  cent,  of  potash  for  a  strong  clay  loam  we  find  it 
ought  to  carry  at  least  .30  per  cent,  to  he  consistent  with  good 
productiveness  and  durability,  but  in  referring  to  the  average 
content  of  the  valley  soils  we  find  hut  .23  per  cent.,  an  amount 
much  smaller  than  could  he  desired.  But  this  is  as  consonant 
with  our  premise  that  such  soils  are  likely  to  be  low  in  potash  as 
is  the  high  lime  content.  It  is  altogether  probable,  however,  that 
the  potash  of  these  soils  is  of  a  high  general  availibilitv  on  ac¬ 
count  of  the  widespread  disintegration  of  basaltic  rocks  and  zeo¬ 
lites.  It  is  a  well  known  action  of  lime  to  render  available  pot¬ 
ash  compounds  otherwise  inert.  Just  here,  methinks,  is,  in  a 
measure  at  least,  the  explanation  of  the  wonderful  fertility  of  the 
Northwest  soils,  but  long  continued  draughts  on  the  side  of  pot¬ 
ash,  as  will  be  made  by  fruit  culture,  is  likely  to  rapidly  deplete 
the  soils  of  this  ingredient.  In  the  light  of  the  present  indications 
it  is  altogether  likely  that  when  the  valley  soils  ‘  ‘ give  oul  ’  it  will  be 
first  on  the  side  of  potash,  and  that  in  not  a  few  instances  could  it 
be  used  to  advantage  now. 

Analysis  shows  the  phosphoric  acid  content  to  be  about  .21  per 
cent.,  which  is  all  that  could  be  desired,  yes,  even  abundant.  It 
is  not  at  all  likely  that  this  will  be  demanded  for  many  years  to 
come,  and  this  will  be  particularly  true  of  the  hill  lands.  This 
heavy  per  cent,  of  phosphoric  acid  in  our  soils ,  together  with  the  prob¬ 
ably  high  general  availability  of  what  potash  does  exist r  will  go  a 
long  ways  toward  explaining  the  long  continued  productiveness  of 
the  Northwest  soils ,  when  solved  to  grain.  But  when  the  conditions 
are  so  changed  as  to  bring  the  draught  very  heavily  on  the  side  of 
potash ,  as  will  be  done  in  fruit  culture ,  if  we  may  judge  from  the 
chemical  ?iatu?'e  of  the  soils,  it  is  not  at  all  probable  that  anything 
like  these  lasting  qualities  will  be  shown. 


I  A 

Sandy  loam _ _ 

c.  I 

7 

13 

0  00 

06 

8 

66 

100 

23 

1 

82 

I  B 

Sandy  loam _ 

C  I 

13 

44 

0  00 

27 

10 

62 

99 

60 

1 

74 

I  C 

Loam _ 

Hei 

8 

76 

0  00 

03 

8 

5i 

100 

29 

I  D 

Red  clay _ _ 

Hei 

7 

58 

05 

32 

1 1 

63 

100 

58 

20 

i  E 

Prairie _ _ 

D.  (. 

6 

45 

02 

6 

to 

99 

94 

87 

i  F 

Shot-land  _ _ . . . 

A  ns 

17 

50 

9 

81 

100 

79 

I 

i  G 

Shot-land _ 

Ans 

17 

67 

0  82 

34 

/ 

98 

mo 

07 

I 

76 

I  H 

Shot-land _ 

Am 

18 

1 3 

08 

34 

8 

74 

mo 

30 

80 

I  I 

Adobe . ... . . 

Coll 

23 

21 

01 

17 

44 

100 

OO 

I 

I  J 

Clay _ _ 

Coll 

9 

23 

03 

05 

8 

00 

99 

38 

/ 

64 

I  K 

Clay  loam _ 

A.  V 

8 

90 

0  1 1 

3  26 

8 

06 

100 

26 

/ 

8S 

i  L 

Shot-land _ _ 

B.  IV 

12 

88 

04 

30 

9 

80 

99 

54 

32 

i  M 

Bottom  land _ 

G.  I 

4 

9C 

02 

08 

12 

00 

100 

34 

91 

i  N 

Bottom  land _ 

B.  IN 

1.5 

94 

03 

06 

1 2 

53 

100 

30 

I 

?6 

1  O 

Hillside,  near  bottom _ 

G.  1 

16 

5o 

02 

21 

12 

15 

99 

92 

1 

61 

i  P 

Hillside  lands _ 

G.  I 

23 

37 

04 

33 

14 

17 

99 

6l 

i  Q 

Bottom  land _ 

G.  1 

18 

3i 

0.3 

1 2 

12 

90 

99 

76 

I 

17 

i  S 

Bench  land _ _ _ 

G.  1 

14 

7o 

01 

08 

14 

60 

99 

64 

88 

i  T 

Tide  land _ 

G.  1 

14 

69 

02 

12 

10 

32 

mo 

H 

1 

89 

i  U 

Tide  land . . 

G.  I 

1 1 

25 

01 

1 1 

18 

07 

100 

63 

I 

98 

i  V 

Sandy  loam - 

J-  G 

1.5 

90 

02 

l6 

10 

51 

99 

43 

1 

21 

i  w 

Black  loam_ _ 

Joh 

16 

89 

02 

I  I 

13 

07 

99 

21 

I 

ss 

I  X 

Sandy  loam _ 

J.  E 

29 

45 

01 

l6 

17 

21 

100 

09 

I 

30 

i  Y 

Silt _ _ ... 

J.  E 

9 

1 1 

08 

35 

IOI 

09 

41 

I  z 

Beaverdam _ 

A.  1 

14 

85 

20 

trace 

28 

07 

23 

8 

10 

09 

95 

100 

99 

00 

86 

1 

10 

2  A 

Beaverdam _ 

J-  v 

L5 

U 

trace 

13 

8 

50 

100 

56 

3 

50 

2  B 

Subsoil  [2  Al _ 

J-  v 

12 

20 

28 

/ 

bo 

’  100 

37 

406 

Geo 

10 

79 

01 

14 

4 

82 

100 

75 

83 

1 

I  2 

407 

Alkali . . 

T.  8 

12 

°9 

trace 

02 

7 

50 

99 

86 

409 

Red  hill . . 

J-  « 

25 

22 

trace 

02 

4 

20 

100 

65 

3 

90 

424 

Subsoil  below  [4.09] _ 

J.  F 

30 

84 

- -  _ 

47 

15 

08 

100 

61 

I 

18 

425 

Shot-land _ _ 

J.  F 

9 

81 

trace 

04 

8 

90 

IOI 

1 1 

58 

426 

Red  hill  _ _ _ 

F.  1 

14 

78 

63 

10 

'9 

99 

72 

52 

447 

Shot-land _  _ 

J  Q 

12 

27 

04 

31 

5 

28 

99 

93 

55 

448 

J-  O 

FT 

39 

33 

40 

18 

99 

100 

70 

2 

07 

449 

Bottom  land _ 

j.  F 

13 

46 

06 

25 

8 

45 

100 

10 

I 

95 

2  N 

Sandy  loam _ _ _  _ 

J-  E 

12 

°7 

05 

54 

10 

S8 

100 

40 

3 

40 

623 

Beaverdam _ _ 

J-  E 

14 

08 

15 

12 

9 

38 

IOC 

OO 

2 

95 

624 

Sandy  loam _ 

J-  E 

9 

34 

01 

21 

4 

99 

100 

00 

1 

42 

454 

Adobe _ 

H.  ( 

18 

56 

04 

13 

20 

12 

100 

00 

5 

59 

625 

Shot-land _ 

Fra 

2 

7i 

trace 

22 

11 

20 

100 

OO 

6 

59 

408 

Silt _ _ 

S.  T 

S 

08 

10 

25 

1 

15 

100 

OO 

73 

597 

Clay  loam _ 

Col 

8 

08 

02 

25 

3 

56 

99 

96 

612 

Black  soil _ 

W. 

15 

77 

M 

9 

52 

100 

58 

3 

55 

613 

White  subsoil _ 

W. 

12 

72 

14 

7 

05 

100 

54 

1 1 

615 

615% 

Foothill  land _ _ _ 

Subsoil  from  [615] . . 

A.  1 
A.  I 

1 1 

1 1 

47 

54 

21 

23 

8 

9 

56 

01 

98 

100 

82 

77 

2 

44 

643 

Beaverdam . . . 

J-  C 

15 

°9 

40 

1 1 

47 

99 

94 

3 

bo 

644 

Sandy  loam _ _ _ 

Am 

9 

23 

_  - - 

28 

1 1 

81 

IOO 

4i 

4 

42 

626 

Prairie  _ _ _ _ 

G.  1 

12 

32 

29 

10 

29 

100 

0/ 

5 

42 

622 

White  land _ 

E.  1 

12 

21 

07 

14 

70 

100 

00 

2 

1 

/Cl 

629 

Shot-land _ 

Toh 

12 

24 

40 

12 

16 

99 

65 

2 

60 

616 

Bottom  loam _ _ 

Har 

1  I 

97 

trace 

06 

5 

13 

IOO 

OO 

70 

618 

Red  land _ 

J.  IV 

9 

02 

02 

28 

2 

74 

IOO 

00 

3 

28 

762 

White  clay  loam _ 

W. 

9 

80 

trace 

22 

6 

42 

98 

18 

1 

30 

763 

Red  soil _ _  . 

h.  ; 

25 

13 

01 

25 

6 

67 

IOI 

89 

2 

14 

764 

Red  soil  _ _ 

M. 

29 

10 

07 

82 

12 

52 

102 

56 

2 

07 

765 

Red  upland _ 

Ant 

22 

24 

03 

1 1 

10 

48 

IOO 

55 

5 

So 

766 

Slouch  bottom . . 

Ant 

Coll 

17 

24 

02 

38 

10 

85 

IOO 

29 

3 

77 

410 

White  land  [undrained].. 

13 

5i 

05 

03 

10 

!3 

IOO 

34 

1 

22 

411 

Red  hill _ 

Bel 

12 

56 

02 

34 

14 

82 

99 

55 

5 

96 

628 

Red  hill _ 

S.  F 

14 

70 

19 

7 

75 

101 

28 

4 

53 

628 14 

Red  hill _ 

S.  F 

15 

58 

22 

8 

38 

IOI 

74 

3 

1 1 

768 

Grey  clay  loam _ 

Geo 

11 

22 

trace 

23 

11 

25 

101 

23 

3 

57 

769 

Grey  clay  loam  . . 

Geo 

10 

01 

trace 

76 

12 

33 

100 

40 

3 

30 

619 

Red  hill _ 

Ore 

23 

72 

35 

20 

08 

99 

74 

4 

27 

619^ 

Subsoil  [619] _ 

Ore 

24 

84 

30 

23 

12 

IOI 

49 

3 

16 

617 

Granite _ 

A.  I 

5 

17 

05 

05 

3 

94 

98 

75 

97 

622 

Granite _  _ _ 

A.  I 

2 

45 

trace 

2 

07 

101 

«7 

58 

627 

Prairie _ 

G.  A 

12 

35 

trace 

4 

06 

98 

33 

76 

Average . . . 

12 

68 

0  70 

26 

10 

05 

IOO 

21 

2 

42 

*  Potash  and  soda.  f  All  analyse 


t  TABLE  OF  ANALYSES  OF  OREGON  SOILS 


y. 


r. 


r. 


7 


I  A 
i  B 
i  C 
i  I) 

i  E 
i  F 
i  G 
i  H 

I 

J 

K 


L 

M 


I  N 
l  O 
i  P 

>  Q 
i  s 
i  T 
i  U 
I  v 
i  w 

i  X 
i  Y 

1  Z 

2  A 
2  1! 

406 

407 

409 

424 

425 

426 

447 

448 

449 
2  N 

623 

624 

454 

625 
40S 

597 

612 

613 

615 
615^ 

643 

644 

626 
622 
629 

616 

618 

762 

763 

764 

765 

766 

410 

411 
628 
628^ 

768 

769 

619 

619  H 

617 
622 

627 


Ol 

n 


Sandy  loam . 

Sandy  loam . 

Loam  . 

Red  clay . . 

Prairie  . 

Shot  -land 
Shot-land  .... 

Shot-land  .  _ ... 

Adobe . . . 

Clay 

Clay  loam . 

Shot  land  . . 

Bottom  land  . 

Bottomland . 

Hillside,  near  bottom 

Hillside  lands . 

Bottom  land _ 

Bench  land _ 

Tide  land . 

Tide  land . 

Sandy  loam _ _ 

Black  loam  . . . 

Sandy  loam  ...... 

Silt  .  . 


Beaverdam. . . 

Beaverdam . 

Subsoil  [2  A]  . 

Alkali 
Red  bill 

Subsoil  below  [409] 

Shot  land  . 

Red  hill  .  . 
Shot-land . 


Bottom  land. . _ _ 

Sandy  loam . 

Beaverdam  _  . . . 

Sandy  loam .  . 

Adobe  . 

Shot-land . . 

Silt . . 

Clay  loam _ 

Black  soil 

White  subsoil  .  _ 

Foothill  land 
Subsoil  from  [615]. 

Beaverdam  . 

Sandy  loam  .  . 

Prairie  . . . 

White  land . . 

Shot-land . . 

Bottom  loam . . 

Red  land . . 

White  clay  loam  ... 

Red  soil  . 

Red  soil . . 

Red  upland  . . . 

Slough  bottom.  _ 

White  land  [undrained] 

Red  hill . 

Red  hill . 

Red  hill  . . 

Grey  clay  loam . . 

Grey  clay  loam . 

Red' hill'. . 

Subsoil  [619]. . 

Granite . 

Granite . . 

Prairie . 


C.  J.  Bishop,  Tidewater  _ 

C  J.  Bishop,  Tidewater  _ 

Henry  Buxton,  Forest  Grove 
Henry  Buxton,  Forest  Grove 
I).  C.  Bolton,  1  he  Dalles 
Anson  Powell, -Gales  Creek 

Anson  Powell,  Gales  Creek _ 

Anson  Powell,  Gales  Creek 

College  Farm,  Corvallis  . . 

College  Farm,  Corvallis  _ 

A.  W.  Lucas,  Monmouth  _ 

B.  M.  Collins,  Fir  ... _ _  _ 

G.  H.  Rosebrook,  Toledo 

B.  M.  Collins,  Fir 
G.  II.  Rosebrook,  Toledo  . . 

G.  II,  Rosebrook,  Toledo 
G.  H.  Rosebrook,  Toledo 
G.  H.  Rosebrook,  Toledo 
G.  H.  Rosebrook,  Toledo 

G.  H.  Rosebrook,  Toledo _ 

J.  G.  Stevenson,  Eugene _ 

John  Withers,  Lebanon _ 

J.  D.  Wilson,  Yoncalla . 

J,  D.  Linton,  Cross  Keys _ 

A.  H.  Todd,  Meacham  . 

. . . . . Beaverton _ 

J.  Vorhees,  Woodburn.  . 

J.  Vorhees,  Woodburn.  .. 
George  Palmer,  Baker  City.  ... 

T.  Smith,  Baker  City _ .... 

J.  H.  Emmett,  Plola.  . 

J.  H.  Emmett,  Eola _ 

J.  H.  Bamford,  Gales  Creek  ... 

F.  R  Smith,  Salem _ 

J.  C.  Johnson.  Scappoose 

J.  O.  Stearns,  Waldport . 

J.  II.  Rinck,  Buxton  . 

J.  H.  Rinck.  Buxton  . 

j  ik  Rinck ,  Buxton  . 

J.  II.  Rinck,  Buxton  . . 

II.  C.  Perkins,  Lewellvn 
Frank  Butler,  Falls  City  .. 

S.  T,  I.ovcll, 

College  Campus,  Corvallis. _ 

W.  P.  dwell,  Central  Point. 

W.  P.  Olwell,  Central  Point 

A.  II.  Carson,  Grants  Pass . 

A.  II.  Carson,  Grants  Pass . 

J.  C.  Standish,  Halsey . . 

Amos  Root,  The  Halles _ _ 

G.  W.  Dimick.  Hubbard 

E.  K.  Shaw,  Brooks  . . 

John  Barrett,  Portland 

Harry  Smith,  Grants  Pass _ 

J.  M.  Donnell,  Wilbur  . 

W.  A.  Slingerland,  Hood  River 

H.  L  Crappeu,  Hood  River 
M.  V.  Rand,  Hood  River. 

Anton  Wirth,  Marshfield 
Anton  Wirth,  Marshfield. . 
College  Campus,  Corvallis  . 
Belfountain  Prune  Co.,  Monroe. 

S.  R.  Burford,  Salem _  _ 

S.  R.  Burford,  Salem _ 

Geo.  Thompson,  McMinnville.. 
Geo.  Thompson.  McMinnville.. 

Oregon  Land  Co.,  Salem _ 

Oregon  Land  Co.,  Salem . 

A.  H.  Carson,  Grants  Pass . 

A.  H.  Carson,  Grants  Pass . 

G.  W.  Dimick,  Hubbard . 


Average. 


*  Potash  and  soda.  f  All  analyses  made  to  January  1,  1898. 


Lincoln _ 

2  00 

98  00  3  00 

19  00 

Lincoln  . . _ 

I  01 

98  99  10  00 

67  00 

Washington. . 

I  00 

9g  00  .5  00 

55  40 

Washington. . 

3  00 

97  00  1  42 

8  00 

Wasco . 

T,  00 

97  00  5  00 

51  OO 

Washington 

51  94 

48  06  3  30 

50  80 

Washington 

34  00 

66  oc  6  50 

40  80 

Washington 

19  00 

Si  00  4  72 

50  OO 

Benton . . 

2  25 

97  75  -  -  - 

56  00 

Benton _ _ 

i  75 

98  25  3  94 

44  20 

Polk  .  _ 

18 

99  82  7  76 

53  00 

Washington 

33  00 

67  00  8  30 

45  00 

Lincoln . 

3  40 

96  60  4  99 

24  00 

Washington 

7  40 

92  60  7  09 

70  00 

1  incoln _ 

7  4° 

92  60  7  09 

70  00 

Lincoln  . . _ 

16  31 

83  69  11  74 

76  00 

Lincoln _ 

20  00 

80  00  6  94 

36  00 

Lincoln  . . 

.  5  00 

Lincoln  . 

-  2  55 

Lincoln  ... 

2  90 

97  10  9  95 

60  00 

Lane  ... 

5  70 

94  30  2  00 

50  00 

Linn  . .  . 

22  90 

77  10  7  55 

44  00 

I  louglas _ 

45  40 

54  60  1  24 

42  OO 

Crook  . . . 

4  40 

9*5  60  3  85 

36  00 

Union . 

4o 

QQ  60  A  70 

61  00 

Washington 

Marion  _ 

9  17 

9°  83: . 

51  53 

Marion _ 

35  63 

64  36 - 

50  00 

Baker 

6  66 

93  34  . 

44  00 

Baker . 

15  20 

84  80 _ 

46  00 

Polk  _ 

41  34 

59  66 . 

32  00 

Polk.. 

4°  57 

59  43 1  5  68 

40  OO 

Washington 

47  20 

52  80  . 

40  00 

Marion . 

28  88 

71  12 _ 

42  00 

Columbia 

25  50 

74  50 . 

36  00 

Lincoln  . 

1  50 

98  50 . . 

Washington. 

5  16 

94  84 - 

38  00 

Washington 

1  38 

98  62 . 

48  00 

Washington 

40  74 

59  26 - 

44  00 

Washington 

8  43 

91  57 . 

5 2  00 

Lane . . 

32  79 

67  21 . 

46  00 

Polk _ 

45  30 

54  7° - 

44  00 

Umatilla  . . 

IOO  OO  _ 

49  00 

Benton  . 

5  60 

94  40 - 

60  00 

Jackson  _ 

93  00 

7  00 . . 

Jackson  _ 

90  00 

10  00 . 

Josephine . 

62  38 

37  62 . 

Josephine 

81 00 

19  00 . 

Linn  . 

5° 

99  5° ..... . 

Wasco. _ _ 

25  50 

74  50  — 

Marion _ 

35  ou 

65  00 . 

Marion  . . . 

62  00 

38  00 _ 

Multnomah 

35  5° 

64  50  — 

Josephine 

35  00 

65  00 . . 

Douglas _ 

60  00 

40  00  _ . 

W asco . . 

35  44 

64  56  — 

Wasco _ 

42  93 

57  07 . 

\\  asco ... 

37  10 

62  90 _ 

_ 

Coos. . . 

66  80 

Coos. . 

23  75 

76  2=; 

Benton  . . 

16  50 

83  5° . 

Benton  _ 

Marion  . .  . 

5  00 

95  °° - 

Marion  . 

15  00 

S5  00 - 

Yamhill. 

3  OO 

97  00 - 

Yamhill _ 

5  50 

94  50  - 

Marion  . . 

19  OO 

Si  00 _ 

Marion _ 

Josephine  . . . . 

46  00 

54  o° - 

Josephine _ 

Marion . 

28  88 

71  12 - 

24  54 

74  33  5  65 

46  79 

77  77 
63  43 

76  19 

75  06 

77  79 
65  89 
67  40 

67  99 

38  9' 

72  70 

74  02 
63  62 

63  38 

60  00 

59  98 

50  96 
52  72 
57  01 

64  43 
63  09 
63  02 
57  82 

39  58 

76  69 

65  75 

73  40 
21  88 

60  29 

68  49 
56  56 
35  20 

75  00 
68  48 

75  96 

62  44 

73  36 

70  98 

63  48 
8?  59 
52  68 

71  80 
70  21 

76  65 

64  84 
6c  03 

8  20 
S'  56 

64  25 
63  65 
62  23; 

72  32 
60  65 

60  93 

78  32 

68  15 
62  42 

51  03 

61  64 

65  9i 

70  26 
65  74 

72  04 

71  99 

74  02, 

73  10 
43  9° 

52  33 
81  56 
90  20 

69  50 


4 

94 

8 

60 

4 

49 

3 

76 

7 

16 

5 

■^2 

5 

IS 

3 

22 

16 

74 

5 

93 

6 

44 

9 

7  <; 

8 

15 

9 

40 

9 

74 

9  52 

14 

54 

1 1 

43 

/ 

1 1 

6 

37 

8 

77 

7 

23 

10 

43 

8 

47 

8 

95 

94 

9 

40 

20 

81 

10 

73 

12 

59 

15 

35 

5 

16 

4 

38 

4 

00 

3 

s? 

3 

33 

4 

20 

5 

31 

24 

6  85 

7 

97 

17 

14 

9 

25 

5 

57 

8 

33 

7 

>7 

7 

12 

6 

45 

12 

65 

13 

00 

II 

12 

12 

43 

8 

14 

I  I 

48 

59 

43 

7i 

78 

53 

94 

99 

18 

45 
1 1 

26 


6  66 
4  06 
10  42 

7  69 


2 


rt 

n 


1  03 

02 

23 

IO 

1  40 

03 

OI 

34 

l6 

00 

63 

O  O  ) 

0  00 

65 

12 

06 

75 

28 

05 

1 35 

26 

07 

76 

I  I 

ov 

1 60 

47 

24 

1 60 

24 

oS 

60 

1  I 

08 

'  47 

12 

22 

53 

19 

10 

43 

26 

09 

31 

38 

04 

30 

33 

09 

27 

ifS 

10 

42 

22 

31 

45 

33 

53 

27 

09 

07 

60 

15 

07 

3  51 

44 

83 

26 

2  05 

20 

1  21 

8l 

23 

76 

is 

52 

1 49 

66 

75 

97 

04 

03 

10 

5> 

26 

‘  13 

03 

02 

94 

02 

01 

2  01 

39 

03 

75 

02 

03 

82 

47 

33' 

40 

29 

39 

59 

I  I 

08 

46 

1 1 

08 

50 

51 

33 

49 

17 

19 

1  13 

23 

14 

64 

19 

09 

6.5 

47 

20 

56 

23 

49 

1  86 

33 

08 

89 

33 

26 

2  32 

21 

13 

5  L5 

19 

07 

2  49 

27 

12 

3  49 

39 

63 

5o 

12 

l6 

1  41 

12 

65 

95 

46 

J9 

trace 

25 

33 

1  27 

1  85 

3  11 

I  27 

13 

31 

/  * 

82 

20 

67 

38 

41 

73 

84 

20 

31 

52 

29 

27 

4« 

06 

07 

66 

21 

40 

46 

48 

31 

32 

52 

20 

34 

26 

54 

63 

38 

65 

43 

50 

38 

35 

62 

31 

38 

28 

30 

87 

72 

38 

71 

32 

29 

97 

p 

K 


v 

j? 


3;  — : 


1  >3 

27 

7  13 

0  00 

1  65 

09 

•3  44 

0  00 

1  71 

22 

8  76 

0  00 

1  iS 

21 

7  58 

°5 

1  41 

40 

6  45 

7  '3 

0  38 

17  50 

9n 

7i 

40 

17  67 

18  13 

0  .82 
08 

1  78 

08 

23  21 

1  03 

IO 

9  23 

°3 

55 

05 

8  90 

O  I  1 

1  27 

22 

12  88 

04 

82 

06 

4  9c 

02 

1  54 

08 

15  94 

03 

52 

08 

16  50 

02 

40 

IO 

-’5  37 

04 

25 

20 

18  31 

03 

98 

06 

14  70 
14  69 

01 

2  04 

IO 

02 

52 

08 

1  1  25 

01 

27 

02 

15  90 

02 

21 

12 

16  89 

02 

42 

oS 

29  45 

OI 

1  1  I 

04 

9  U 

24 

02 

14  85 

trace 

26 

7  20 

28 

09 

09 

15  a 

trace 

91 

°5 

12  20 

1  93 

06 

10  79 

OI 

01 

_  _ _ 

12  09 

trace 

02 

trace 

25  22 

trace 

87 

04 

30  8., 

85 

50 

9  81 

trace 

96 

none 

14  78 

80 

none 

12  27 

"4 

63 

13  39 

33 

13  46 

06 

71 

trace 

12  07 

05 

38 

trace 

14  oH 

1.5 

1  45 

l6 

9  34 

OI 

46 

23 

18  56 

04 

79 

none 

2  71 
8  08 

trace 

09 

40 

IO 

80 

15 

8  08 

02 

83 

trace 

1.5  77 

72 

trace 

12  72 

46 

"  47 

43 

11  54 

71 

trace 

15  09 

I  10 

9  23 

.  _ _ 

62 

trace 

12  32 

05 

trace 

12  21 

1  23 

12  24 

3  36 

I  l6 

11  97 

trace 

08 

9  02 

02 

15 

12 

9  80 

t  race 

24 

23 

25  13 

OI 

24 

37 

29  IO 

07 

l6 

15 

22  24 

03 

60 

06 

17  24 

02 

<>4 

13  51 

<>5 

05 

OI 

12  56 

02 

5° 

14  7° 

33 

. 

15  58 

. 

53 

22 

28 

35 

33 

9i 


trace 

trace 


11  22 
10  01 

23  72 

24  84 
5  17 
2  45 

12  35 


trace 

trace 


05 

trace 


06 

27 

03 

32 

02 


34 
34 
01 

°5 
I  26 

30 

08 
06 
21 

33 
1 2 

08 

12 
1 1 
16 

1 1 
16 
08 
°7 
23 

13 

28 

14 
02 
02 

47 
04 
63 

31 

40 

25 

54 

12 

21 

13 

22 
25 
2.5 

14 
14 

21 

23 

40 

28 

29 
07 

40 
06 
28 

22 

25 

82 
1 1 
38 
"3 

34 

19 

22 

23 

7(> 

35 

30 
05 

trace 


J? 


8  24 


16  12  68  o 


26 


8  66 

100  23 

i  82 

10  62 

99  60 

•  74 

8  51 

100  29 

1 1  63 

100  38 

20 

6  55 

99  94 

Q  8l 

100  79 

i  87 

7  98 

100  07 

I  7<’ 

8  74 

100  30 

'7  44 

100  00 

1  St . 

8  on 

99  38 

7  64 

S  06 

IOO  20 

7  88 

9  80 

99  54 

32 

12  00 

IOO  34 

91 

12  53 

100  30 

1  .'6 

12  15 

99  92 

1  6l 

1 1  17 

99  61 

12  90 

99  70 

1  1: 

14  60 

99  64 

88 

10  32 

IOO  14 

I  Sy 

18  07 

IOO  63 

1  98 

10  51 

99  43 

1  21 

13  lf7 

99  21 

I  SS 

17  21 

UK)  09 

1  30 

3  35 

IOI  09 

41 

8  09 

IOO  00 

I  10 

i°  95 

99  86 

8  30 

100  36 

3  50 

7  60 

100  37 

4  82 

100  73 

1  1  2 

7  50 

99  83 

86 

4  20 

IOO  63 

3  9° 

IS  08 

100  61 

I  I N 

8  90 

IOI  1  I 

58 

IO  19 

99  72 

52 

5  28 

99  93 

55 

18  99 

IOO  70 

2  07 

8  43 

IOO  10 

1  95 

10  38 

100  40 

3  4° 

9  38 

100  00 

2  95 

4  99 

IOO  00 

1  42 

20  12 

IOO  00 

5  59 

I  I  20 

IOO  00 

6  59 

1  15 

IOO  00 

73 

3  56 

99  96 

9  52 

IOO  38 

3  55 

7  05 

100  54 

I  I 

8  36 

98  82 

2  44 

9  01 

100  77 

11 47 

99  94 

3  60 

11 81 

100  41 

4  42 

10  29 

TOO  57 

5  42 

14  7° 

IOO  00 

2  73 

12  16 

99  65 

2  60 

5  ‘3 

IOO  00 

7o 

2  74 

IOO  00 

3  28 

6  42 

98  18 

1  30 

6  67 

IOI  89 

2  14 

12  52 

1 02  56 

2  07 

10  48 

100  55 

5  80 

10  85 

IOO  29 

3  77 

10  13 

100  34 

I  22 

14  82 

99  55 

5  96 

7  75 

IOI  28 

4  53 

8  38 

IOI  74 

3  11 

II  25 

IOI  23 

3  57 

12  33 

100  40 

3  30 

20  08 

99  74 

4  27 

23  12 

101  49 

3  16 

3  94 

98  75 

97 

2  07 

IOI  87 

58 

4  06 

98  33 

76 

10  05 

IOO  21 

2  42 

49 


The  humus  content  of  the  soils — a  fair  measure  of  nitrogen 
is  excellent,  1.63  per  cent.,  and  largely  exceeds  that  of  California, 
.75  per  cent.,  in  whose  soils  the  potash  content  is  high.  With 
proper  care  in  the  treatment  of  our  soils  it  will  be  a  long  time  be¬ 
fore  high-priced  nitrogenous  manures  will  have  to  be  resorted  to. 
It  is  not  at  all  uncommon  to  find  soils  showing  2.5  per  cent.,  and 
in  rare  cases  even  more. 

I  am  now  to  speak  briefly  of  the  classes  of  soils,  but  limit  it  to 
those  most  prominent,  for  to  undertake  a  consideration  of  the 
varieties  due  to  local  causes  would  demand  much  more  data  than 
is  at  our  command. 

In  general  in  the  bottom  lands  of  the  Willamette  valley  the  soils 
have  a  tendency  towrard  clay  loams,  with  clay  subsoils  forming  a 
hardpan  at  varying  depths.  There  are  apparently  two  classes  of 
these  soils,  one  a  dark  loam,  and  the  other  more  properly  de¬ 
scribed  as  a  gray  loam,  running  into  the  so-called  “  white  lands.” 
These  are  really  of  about  the  same  chemical  nature,  and  probably 
represent  only  different  stages  of  drainage  capacity,  which  has 
brought  about  subsequent  difference  in  their  composition.  Even 
the  so  much  despised  “white  land,”  when  properly  drained,  rap¬ 
idly  takes  on  the  appearance  of  the  other  soils  both  as  to  color 
and  texture,  the  better  drainage  of  the  darker  soils,  excepting  the 
adobe,  allowing  more  perfect  humification,  and  preventing  the 
loss  of  much  valuable  plant  food.  These  loams  are  rich  in  phos¬ 
phoric  acid ,  a?id  humus ,  well  supplied  with  lime ,  but  weak  in  potash. 

The  class  of  soils  known  as  “shot-lands”  are  worthy  of  special 
notice.  These  soils  are  of  a  reddish  color  and  are  quite  lumpy. 
They  do  not  blacken  to  any  extent  when  wet  but  become  very 
sticky.  There  is  considerable  iron  oxide  in  the  soil  together  with 
quartz  and  feldspar,  with  some  hornblende.  These  soils  are  com¬ 
monly  called  “shot-lands”  since  the  iron  oxid  with  particles  of 
clay  have  formed  small  nodules  which  to  some  extent  resemble 
shot,  which  by  continued  wear  in  cultivation  disappear.  This 
so-called  “shot-land”  covers  quite  an  area  of  hill  country  em¬ 
bracing  nearly  all  the  lands  on  the  first  bench  of  the  Coast  Range 
lying  on  the  south  side  of  Gale’s  Creek,  and  also  considerable  areas 
in  Multnomah,  Clackamas  and  Columbia  counties.  As  the  bot¬ 
tom-lands  are  approached  the  shot  become  less.  The  natural 
growth  on  this  soil  is  fir,  alder,  maple  and  an  occasional  oak.  In 


50 


* 


many  cases  these  soils  are  quite  deep,  sometimes  20  feet,  but  more 
often  less  than  10  feet.  They  are  usually  well  drained  and  easily 
worked  but  wash  quite  badly  in  heavy  rains.  In  general  the 
water  is  soft  and  chalybeate  springs  are  more  or  less  abundant. 
Considering  the  depth  and  porosity  of  these  soils  none  would  be 
considered  deficient  in  potash  except  No.  425,  which  for  some 
cause  appears  to  be  very  deficient  both  in  this  ingredient  and  in 
phosphoric  acid,  but  fairly  supplied  with  lime.  I  am  of  the 
opinion  that  applications  of  gypsum  and  organic  matter  would 
benefit  any  of  these  soils. 

To  summarize  the  matter  of  valley  soils,  the  bottom  lands  offer, 
as  a  rule,  the  following  advantages  over  the  hill  lands: 

1st,  Greater  accessibility. 

2d,  Greater  depth. 

3d,  Greater  lime  content. 

4th,  Probably  a  greater  availability  of  potash. 

As  an  offset  the  following  advantages  are  offered  by  the  hill  soils: 

1st,  Better  drainage,  and  therefore  a  more  friable  soil. 

2d,  Better  supply  of  phosphoric  acid. 

In  other  respects  there  appears  to  be  little  to  choose  between 
them  chemically. 

The  soils  of  Southern  Oregon  in  general  carry  considerably  more 
lime  than  do  the  soils  of  the  Willamette  valley — at  least  twice  as 
much — the  average  so  far  stands  2.22  per  cent,  for  the  former 
against  .83  per  cent,  for  the  latter.  Such  a  condition  we  would 
expect  to  find  from  geological  reasons,  this  section  having  been 
the  area  of  fringing  and  barrier  reef  lime  deposits  in  the  early 
geological  history  of  Oregon.  The  lime  is  most  frequently  pres¬ 
ent  as  a  carbonate.  It  is  safe  to  say  that  the  soils  are  stronger 
than  the  Willamette  vallev  soils,  not  only  in  lime,  but  also  in 
potash,  but  weaker  in  phosphoric  acid.  It  is  7iot  likely  that  these 
soils  will  first  wea ;  out  on  the  side  of  potash,  but  rather  on  the  side 
of  phosphoric  acid.  In  this  respect  they  approach  the  California 
soils,  as  will  be  seen  upon  examination  of  the  table  given  on  page 
46,  although  richer  in  phosphoric  acid.  The  humus  content  of  the 
soils  of  Southern  Oregon  thus  far  examined  has  been  considerably 
higher  than  in  the  Willamette  valley.  We  are  not  prepared  to 
offer  an  explanation  of  this  fact  at  present,  although  it  may  be 
due  to  the  long  continued  wheat  crops  grown  on  the  latter  soils, 
and  the  open  culture  thus  necessitated. 


51 


The  red  soils  of  the  foot-hills  of  the  southern  area  are  likely, 
from  their  origin,  to  be  quite  variable  in  their  composition,  which 
will,  perhaps,  account  for  the  ill-esteem  they  have  acquired.  Be¬ 
fore  orchards  are  placed  on  these  soils  there  should  be  a  very 
thorough  investigation  of  their  lasting  qualities.  The  granite 
soils  are  proverbially  short-lived.  They  usually  carry  a  high  per 
cent,  of  potash,  but  are  sure  to  be  very  variable.  While  orchards 
are  likely  to  do  well  on  these  soils  for  a  time,  they  will  not  be 
found  durable  for  fruit  culture. 

Comparing  the  soils  of  the  arid  with  the  humid  areas  along  the 
lines  of  so-called  critical  elements,  it  will  be  noted  that  the  two 
sections  differ  markedly  in  lime  content — the  Eastern  Oregon  soils 
eartying  much  more  lime  than  those  of  the  humid  or  western  area. 
There  is  one  feature  that  differs  materially  so  far  as  observed,  viz., 
that  there  appears  to  be  no  great  difference  between  the  lime  content 
of  the  uplands  and  the  lowlands  of  the  arid  area.  This  conforms 
with  conditions  pointed  out  by  Prof.  Hilgard,  of  California,  that 
all  arid  soils  are  naturally  calcareous  .*  The  converse  of  this,  how¬ 
ever,  is  by  no  means  true,  for  there  may  be  local  causes  which 
will  very  materially  alter  the  conditions.  We  have  an  illustra¬ 
tion  of  this  in  the  southern  area  of  the  humid  region,  where  the 
lime  supply  surpasses  that  of  the  arid  area. 

The  potash  supply  of  the  Eastern  Oregon  soils  is  also  superior 
to  that  of  the  humid  area,  standing  .43  per  cent,  against  .23  per 
cent.  In  view  of  this  abundant  supply  it  is  not  at  all  likely  that 
these  soils  will  wear  out  on  the  side  of  potash.  The  greater  abund¬ 
ance  of  potash  in  these  soils  is  augmented  much  by  being  in  a 
very  soluble  form  thus  rendering  it  even  more  available  than  that 
in  the  soils  of  the  Willamette  valley.  The  phosphoric  acid  sup¬ 
ply  of  the  humid  area,  howrever,  is  superior  being  .21  per  cent, 
against  .14  per  cent,  for  the  Eastern  Oregon  soils.  This  is  doubt¬ 
less  the  weakest  point  in  the  soils  of  the  arid  area  of  the  northwest. 

The  humus  percentage  is  excellent,  although,  as  might  be  ex¬ 
pected  from  climatic  reasons,  not  as  high  as  in  the  Willamette 
valley,  but  recent  experiments  indicate  that  the  humus  of  the  arid 
regions  carries  much  more  nitrogen  than  do  those  of  humid  areas  in 
the  ratio  of  3  to  i.\  If  in  future  experiments  this  proves  to  be 


*  Report  of  California  Station,  1892 — 1893. 
+  California  Station  Report,  1892-93. 


52 


true  in  our  State,  as  without  doubt  it*  will,  it  means  that  while 
the  humus  per  cent,  is  lower  the  actual  nitrogen  content  is  higher 
in  the  Eastern  Oregon  soils  than  in  those  of  the  western  area. 
Summarizing  the  lime,  potash,  and  phosphoric  acid  of  the  three 
great  areas  we  find  it  as  follows: 


Willamette  Southern  Eastern 


Valley. 

Oregon. 

Oregon. 

Lime  [CaO]- . . 

- - ^3 

2.22 

1.22 

Potash  [K20]  _ _ _ 

-  .23 

■34 

•43 

Phosphoric  acid  [P205] _ 

_  .21 

•13 

•H 

The  climate  has  much  to  do  with  these  differences,  although 
the  abundance  of  lime  in  the  southern  area  is  mainly  due  to  geo¬ 
logical  reasons  as  mentioned  before.  There  is  a  difference  of  from 
20  to  30  inches  in  the  annual  rainfall  of  the  two  sections.  This 
difference  in  rainfall  and  the  lower  level  of  the  bottom  water ,  or 
countiy  drainage ,  explains  the  accumulation  of  lime ,  potash ,  and 
other  soluble  compounds  in  the  soil  of  the  eastemi  area.  In  not  a  few 
instances  have  these  accumulated  to  such  an  extent  that  the  salts 
appear  on  the  surface  in  the  dry  season  as  alkali.  It  is  well  to 
state  here  that  the  material  composing  alkali  is  no  different  than 
that  being  formed  constantly  everywhere,  and  that  its  appearance 
on  the  surface  is  simply  due  to  the  fact  that  the  rainfall  is  in¬ 
sufficient  to  carry  these  soluble  salts  into  the  country  drainage, 
but  from  year  to  year  they  are  periodically  washed  into  the  soil 
to  the  depth  of  a  few  feet  only  to  rise  again  with  the  evaporation 
of  the  water  at  the  surface.  Hence  it  is  seen  that  the  deeper  the 
water  penetrates — provided  only  it  does  not  reach  the  country 
drainage — and  the  greater  the  evaporation,  the  more  salts  will 
there  be  brought  to  the  surface  to  appear  as  alkali.  The  depth 
to  which  the  water  of  precipitation  penetrates  in  most  cases 
is  marked  by  the  existence  of  a  hardpan  at  varying  depths. 
This  hardpan  has  invariably  been  formed  by  the  cementing  ac¬ 
tion  of  the  lime  upon  the  diffused  clay  carried  down  by  the  storm 
water.  These  basins  are  always  found  underlying  bad  alkali 
spots  and  before  any  permanent  cure  can  be  effected  the  impervious 
layer  must  be  destroyed ,  otherwise  whatever  may  be  done  will  be  but 
a  mere  makeshift . 

It  is  well  known  to  those  who  live  in  regions  where  alkali  pre¬ 
vails  that  there  are  two  kinds,  viz.,  the  white  and  the  black  varie- 


53 


ties.  Of  these  the  former  is  hy  far  the  least  injurious  on  account 
of  its  comparative  neutrality.  The  main  ingredient  of  the  white 
variety  is  sulfate  of  soda,  which,  not  having  the  power  to  dissolve 
the  organic  matter  of  the  soil,  remains  white.  It  is  comparative¬ 
ly  harmless,  and  unless  it  has  accumulated  in  excessive  amounts 
is  easily  managed.  The  most  permanent  remedy  will  be  ynider- 
draining  the  land  with  tile  and  then  thoroughly  washing  out  the  salt. 
This  is  the  best  as  well  as  the  most  expensive  means  of  removing 
the  difficulty.  There  are  other  cheaper  and  less  expensive  reme¬ 
dies,  such  as  digging  open  ditches  lower  than  the  level  of  the  sur¬ 
face  of  the  land  to  be  treated,  running  these  drains  into  the  near¬ 
est  natural  outlet.  Then  by  flooding  these  lands,  not  allowing 
the  water  to  stand  long  enough  to  soak  into  the  soil  and  thus  carry 
with  it  the  dissolved  salts,  most  of  the  alkali  that  has  collected 
on  top  can  be  removed.  This  treatment  repeated  a  few  times  and 
followed  by  thorough  and  deep  cultivation  will  be  all  that  is  re¬ 
quired.  In  many  cases,  where  the  white  salt  has  not  accumu¬ 
lated  in  too  great  quantities,  deep  and  thorough  cultivation  will 
be  all  that  is  needed.  Such  frequent  and  deep  tillage  keeps  the 
ground  in  good  tilth,  and  prevents  the  rapid  surface  evaporation. 
It  also  mixes  the  top,  which  is  likely  to  be  the  strongest,  with  the 
soil  lower  down,  and  therefore  dilutes  the  salt. 

The  black  variety  of  alkali  is  far  more  difficult  to  deal  with  on 
account  of  its  ability  to  dissolve  the  organic  matter,  humus ,  of 
the  soil.  In  times  of  drought  these  spots  are  marked  by  a  series 
of  black  rings  left  about  the  margins  of  the  dried  up  pools.  The 
active  alkaline  ingredient  of  these  soils  is  sodium  carbonate,  com¬ 
monly  called  sal  soda,  the  corrosive  action  of  which  is  well  known 
to  housekeepers.  When  water  is  available,  chemical  remedies, 
coupled  with  those  given  above,  may  be  successfully  employed. 
By  means  of  gypsum  applied  at  the  rate  of  2,000  pounds  per  acre, 
the  black  form  will  be  changed  to  the  white,  which  may  then  be 
given  the  above  treatment.  Gypsum  is  the  only  practical  antidote 
for  black  alkali.  It  should  be  sowed  broad-cast  and  well  har¬ 
rowed  in. 

Certain  crops  also  have  the  power  to  remove  a  considerable 
amount  of  alkali  from  the  soil  if  grown  for  several  years  in  suc¬ 
cession.  Among  these  are  beets,  carrots,  turnips,  and  any  crop 
which  will  shade  the  ground  thereby  lessening  the  amount  of 
surface  evaporation. 


54 


These  alkali  soils  are  the  very  richest  in  the  State,  a  number 
of  the  compounds  composing  the  alkali  being  recognized  as  of 
direct  value  as  fertilizers,  as  sulfate  of  potash,  phosphate  of  soda, 
nitrate  of  soda,  chlorid  of  soda,  and  carbonate  of  ammonia, 
which  occur  together  with  the  sulfate  of  soda,  and  carbonate  of 
soda  mentioned  above.  Thus  it  will  be  seen  that  from  the  very 
nature  of  the  case  these  soils  are  bound  to  be  very  lasting,  and 
in  many  instances  will  well  repay  for  the  trouble  required  to 
recover  them. 


HI  HL  F2.  jPlT  jPl  . 

Page  23,  first  line,  read  Columbia  for  Clackamas. 

Page  23,  under  analysis  of  fine  earth  from  Yamhill  county,  read  Na20  for 
Na(J0  ;  also  Mn:!04  for  MnuO, ;  also  Fe20;J  for  Ne.20;i. 


r*  •" 

55 


APPENDIX 

Directions  for  Sampling  Soils. 

First. — As  a  rule  take  specimens  only  from  spots  that  have  not  been  cul¬ 
tivated  and  have  not  been  changed  from  their  original  condition,  and 
always  from  more  than  one  spot,  avoiding  of  course,  road-sides,  cattle-paths, 
squirrel  holes,  or  the  bases  of  trees. 

Second.  —  Record  carefully  the  normal  vegetation,  trees,  herbs,  grass,  etc., 
of  the  average  land;  avoid  spots  of  unusual  growth. 

Third. — From  the  selected  spot  pull  up  the  plants  growing  on  it,  scrape 
off  the  surface  lightly  to  remove  any  partly  decayed  vegetable  matter.  Dig 
a  vertical  hole  at  least  twenty  inches  deep.  On  the  sides  of  the  hole  observe 
very  carefully  at  what  depth  the  change  of  tint  occurs,  which  marks  the 
lower  limit  of  the  surface  soil,  and  record  the  same.  Take  a  half  bushel  of 
the  earth  above  this  limit,  and  on  a  paper  break  it  up  and  thoroughly  mix. 
With  the  mixed  soil  fill  a  bag  of  strong  material — an  ordinary  shot  bag  is 
good.  Place  on  top  a  folded  label  on  which  is  written  in  lead  pencil  your 
name,  the  date,  locality,  and  the  general  name  of  the  sample. 

In  case  the  difference  in  character  of  a  shallow  soil  and  its  subsoil  should 
be  unusually  great,  a  separate  sample  of  that  surface  soil  should  be  taken, 
besides  the  one  at  a  depth  of  six  inches. 

Specimens  of  “alkali”  soils  should  be  taken  only  toward  the  end  of  the 
dry  season  as  at  this  time  they  contain  the  maximum  amount  of  injurious 
ingredients.  Samples  of  salts  that  may  be  on  the  ground  should  be  done 
up  in  a  separate  paper  and  sent  with  the  soil. 

Fourth. — Whatever  lies  below  the  line  of  change  in  tint  is  the  “subsoil.” 
If  the  soil  is  very  deep  be  sure  not  to  take  the  subsoil  sample  above  the  line 
of  change.  It  is  desirable  to  know  what  constitutes  the  subsoil  to  a  depth 
of  three  feet,  as  the  question  of  drainage  etc.,  depends  upon  the  substratum. 
In  ordinary  cases,  however,  io  or  12  inches  of  subsoil  is  sufficient  for  exami¬ 
nation. 

A  specimen  of  any  rock  from  which  the  soil  is  evidently  formed  should 
be  sent  in  the  bag  with  the  “  subsoil.” 

Fifth. — All  peculiarities  of  the  soil  and  subsoil,  their  conditions  as  to 
drainage,  behavior  in  the  dry  and  wet  condition  so  far  as  observed  or  ascer¬ 
tainable  by  inquiry;  the  presence  or  absence  of  “iron  spots,”  concretion, 
or  “bog  ore,”  or  of  “  White  gravel;”  character  of  the  soil  water — every  cir¬ 
cumstance  indeed,  that  can  throw  light  upon  the  agricultural  quality  of  the 
land  should  be  carefully  noted  and  recorded. 

The  information  should  cover  all  points  of  interest  to  the  settler,  and 
should  be  as  concise  as  possible. 

Wet  soils  should  always  be  shipped  i?i  boxes. 


56 

Each  soil  sample  is  accompanied  by  the  following  blank  prop¬ 
erly  filled  out  by  the  sender: 

SOIL  DESCRIPTION— CIRCULAR  NUMBER  III. 

County . Locality . of. . y  Section . Township 

. Range . Waters  of. . Creek . River . Near  what 

town . Depth  taken . Nature  of  underlying  rock . Does 

this  rock  or  any  other  observed,  contribute  to  the  formation  of  this 

soil . Water  at  what  depth! . Nature  of  water . Is  “alkali  " 

visible  or  known  to  exist .  What  kind  of  trees . What  kind 

of  grasses  or  plants . What  shrubs — sagebrush,  or  other  herba¬ 
ceous  plants . Give  the  general  lay  of  the  land;  its  relation  to 

water  courses,  rolling  uplands,  hills,  or  mountains;  whether  steep  or  gentle  slope . 

State  the  extent  of  country  similar  to  the  sample . Popular  designation  of  country 

and  soil . What  other  kinds  of  soil  occur  in  the  same  general  region . Does  the 

soil  sampled  gully  or  wash  in  wet  weather;  and  the  effect  on  the  lowland . Width  of 

valleys — their  surface  level  or  sloping . Has  tree  planting  been  tried  to  any  extent 

and  with  what  success....' . General  fitness  of  the  land  for  cultivation  or  grazing . 

What  is  the  present  practice  and  production  with  the  land . What  is  your  opinion  as 

to  the  value  of  the  laud  for  fruit  culture,  and  does  it  seem  especially  adapted  to  any-  par¬ 
ticular  varieties  of  fruit . Has  fruit  been  extensively  planted  on  this  kind  of  soil  and 

and  with  what  success . What  fertilizers,  if  any',  are  being  used  on  such  soil  as  the 

sample . Is  irrigation  practised  or  not . Is  it  practicable . Miscellaneous . 

Please  fill  out  the  above  blanks  as  accurately'  as  possible. 

I  do  hereby'  certify  that  the  soil  sample  accompanying  th is  sheet  was  taken  in  ac¬ 
cordance  with  the  instructions  furnished  me  by  the  Oregon  Experiment  Station. 

Date .  Signed . . 


